Nintendo Switch Online Subscription Service Launches in September

The online subscription service for the Nintendo Switch will launch in September 2018, according to the Nintendo of America Twitter. Until then, you’ll be able to experience some of the features of the subscription for free. After that, you’ll have to pay $3.99, $7.99, or $19.99, depending on the length of the subscription.

Console online subscription services are a sad reality of gaming today. We just kinda have to live with them. PlayStation has one, Xbox has one, and, in a couple of months, the Nintendo Switch will also have its own. As the Nintendo of America Twitter account has announced, Nintendo Switch Online will come out on September 2018. Until then, though, everyone that has a Nintendo account can enjoy some of the benefits of Nintendo Switch online for free, as a kind of trial run.

So, once September rolls around, how much will you have to shell out to keep the service going? Well, according to Nintendo’s website, there’ll be three options. A one-month membership will cost $3.99, three months will go for $7.99, and a full-year membership will set you back $19.99. So, yeah, it’s not that bad, all things considered. Keep in mind that the prices don’t include taxes. Plus, prices for other countries might vary, and will be announced later on.

Now, for the key part: what do you get for your money? For starters, you get access to online gameplay and the Nintendo Switch Online phone app. I still think that’s incredibly inconvenient and unnecessarily convoluted, but I digress. Then, you’ll be privy to various deals on the Nintendo eShop. Last, but not least, the Classic Game Selection. As the website puts it: “Subscribers will get to download a compilation of classic titles with added online play, such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight and Dr. Mario.” The roster of those games will change around every so often. Fairly standard stuff.