Nintendo Switch Owners Are Mostly Ignoring The System’s New Online App So Far

Earlier this month, the Nintendo Switch Online companion app finally launched, allowing players to [...]

By Nathan Birch

WWGsplatoon29
(Photo: Nintendo)

Earlier this month, the Nintendo Switch Online companion app finally launched, allowing players to plan play sessions, track stats, and coordinate voice chat for compatible games like Splatoon 2. The online app is intended to eventually become a central part of the overall Nintendo Switch experience, but, so far, it seems as if the system's owners aren't biting.

Mobile analytics tracker Sensor Tower recently released data for the Nintendo Switch Online app's first 10 days on the market, and the numbers could be better. According to them, Nintendo's app has been downloaded 780,000 times – 400,000 on iOS and 380,000 on Android devices. Check out the sales curve, below.

WWGnintendoswitchonlineappchart
(Photo: Sensor Tower)

If you divide the above numbers by the total number of Switch units sold (4.7 million as of the end of June), then you discover only around 16 percent of the system's owners have downloaded Nintendo's new app. When you consider the fact that Switch sales numbers are almost certainly over 5 million by now, the true percentage of owners who have downloaded the app drops even lower.

Of course, this isn't a huge surprise, as only one game, Splatoon 2, actually uses the Nintendo Switch Online app right now. That said, it's still a pretty weak launch. Can you imagine if only 16 percent of people were taking advantage of the Xbox One or PS4's online features? Especially if they were free? Everybody would think the sky was falling. Hopefully the number of Nintendo fans downloading the app increases substantially when the company finally launches their paid Switch online service next year.

You can peruse WWG's guided tour of the Nintendo Switch Online app, right here. You can also keep up with all our Nintendo Switch news by bookmarking this page.

[via Dot Esports]

Trending Now: