Nintendo Teases New Feature for Switch Online Users

Playtest for mysterious new feature begins October 10 for eligible players.

By Justin Ali
Image: Reproduction / Disclosure
Image: Reproduction / Disclosure

Nintendo just dropped a bomb on us, teasing a new Nintendo Switch Online feature with almost zero details. Yeah, thanks for that, Nintendo. What we do know is that some lucky Nintendo Switch Online players can sign up and get in on playtesting this experimental feature.

Since the Switch launched, Nintendo’s been sprinkling in new features here and there to keep us hooked. Like most consoles, the Switch offers a range of online stuff—online multiplayer, old-school game libraries from consoles like NES, Game Boy, and more. Last month, they threw a bunch of new titles into the mix, with more set to drop this October. But it looks like they’ve got something else cooking for us, an online feature that’s still all hush-hush.

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Nintendo, being all mysterious, announced on their official Twitter (of course) that a playtest for this new Switch Online feature will kick off on October 10 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. Don’t get too excited just yet, though. Only Nintendo Switch Online users with an expansion pack subscription can sign up, and it’s first come, first served. If you meet all the requirements, which they’re keeping annoyingly vague, you can head over to their website and get yourself on the list.

New Nintendo Switch Online Feature Playtest: What You Need to Know

To get in on the action, you’ll need a Nintendo account and an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Oh yeah, and here’s the kicker—you have to be 18+ and have your account registered in one of a few specific countries (think US, UK, Japan, and a handful of others). You’ve got until 3 p.m. Pacific Time on October 9 to get everything squared away, and registration will be open until November 5, or until they hit their 10,000-player cap. Better be quick.

They haven’t shared much else about the playtest (no surprise there), except that players will need to download exclusive software onto their Switch. Sounds fun, right?

While this new feature is wrapped in layers of mystery, all will be revealed when playtesting starts. But knowing Nintendo, they’ve probably got more surprises up their sleeve. There’s already chatter about another new feature potentially dropping soon, related to SNES mouse support. Whatever it is, something’s definitely brewing for Nintendo Switch Online.

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