It appears that Nintendo has delayed the rollout of their online service for the Switch. Â An updated product page on Nintendo’s site reveals that the Nintendo Switch Online service will be free until 2018.
This paid service, that once active, will have Switch owners needing to pay a monthly fee to enjoy online gaming on the console was slated to arrive later this year. Â Despite an earlier discovered schematic that revealed Nintendo’s through the phone online chat functionality that has gamers perplexed in 2017, it appears that Nintendo is still going forward with the Smartphone plan as it’s still listed as the means of communication for the service.
The fine print on the site says that after the free trial which lasts until 2018, most games will require a paid subscription to play online. Â It will not affect the Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS.
New details about the online lobbies and voice chat system coming to the Nintendo Switch reveal that it will have the ability to invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with friends during online matches via a smart device.
A limited version of the app is said to be arriving in summer 2017.
The upshot for Nintendo Switch Online is that subscribers to the service will be able to download a selection of classic Nintendo titles that will feature online play. Â These include Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario at the moment.
