Nintendo fans finally received the Nintendo Switch 2 confirmation they’ve been waiting for in thanks to a recent reveal video. Given how little was actually confirmed from this shiny production featuring the new console, the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal raised more questions than it answered. And one thing on many gamers’ minds is whether the new console will inspire Nintendo to overhaul Nintendo Online and the Nintendo eShop. Recent rumors suggest Nintendo Online will get a price increase when the Switch 2 comes out, but does that mean improvements to the subscription model are on the way, too?
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Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s answer to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus… sort of. While the subscription has held steady on price point compared with the other two, it’s also arguably fallen behind when it comes to value – and functionality. The base Nintendo Switch Online membership includes the ability to play online and access to select games from previous systems like GameBoy, Super Nintendo, and more. While this back catalog is nice in theory, many of the more enticing titles are locked behind the heftier Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
In reality, Nintendo Switch Online is mostly the price for playing games that require online connections to play with others. Compared to many game subscriptions that include a catalog of more current games, Nintendo Switch Online feels more like a mandatory solution for ensuring data saves to the Cloud and being able to visit other gamers in Animal Crossing than it does anything gamers actually want to have. And then there’s the issue that, half the time, the online connection doesn’t actually work.
And speaking of what gamers want to have, Nintendo Switch Online isn’t the only thing that needs a rehaul when it comes to the Switch’s online features. The Nintendo eShop’s functionality has long been a concern for fans just trying to find and buy the games they want.
Nintendo Switch 2 Needs a Functional eShop & Online Connectivity
As more and more gamers opt for digital purchases over physical game cartridges, a solid online shop is a requirement for any major console. Yet the Nintendo eShop lacks basic usability, with poor search function and a confusing multi-step process to actually get to the purchase point. While the Nintendo Switch 2 likely won’t be compatible with every Switch game, it’s likely to launch with a decent catalogue of backwards compatible games and newly announced titles. That means people will be looking for a smoother process to acquire those games digitally, right from their shiny new Switch 2 console.
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With physical stores like GameStop shutting their doors, this is becoming even more essential. And Nintendo’s eShop has been in need of an update for quite some time, so people can more easily get the games they want. Since most prior consoles have had their own version of the online store, hopefully the Switch 2 will give Nintendo a good reason to redesign the eShop and give gamers a better purchase experience.
Alongside issues being able to find and buy the games players want is the fact that Nintendo Switch Online often struggles to actually get players connected. In an increasingly wireless age, gamers are frustrated with the struggle of actually getting their Switch to stay online and let them play multiplayer games with their friends. As a portable console, “try an ethernet cable” isn’t always the most ideal solution for getting online play to work, and if the Switch 2 plans to keep up with the promise of portability, its online functionality needs to be able to keep up.
Gamers have waited a long time to learn about the Switch successor, and now that it’s almost here, they also want to know that it’s going to improve upon the biggest downsides to the current model. All around improvements to Nintendo’s online features are going to be essential pieces of the Nintendo Switch 2’s success… or lack thereof.
A release date for the Nintendo Switch 2 console has not yet been announced yet, but opportunities to prepare for preorders are already going up ahead of time.
