Another Nintendo Direct took place on Thursday, revealing all the games and features coming to Nintendo devices over the course of the next year.
The spotlight however, was on Nintendo Switch and its upcoming online service.
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In a fun little trailer, Nintendo revealed five features for those who purchase a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Play Switch games online
Naturally, Switch Online gives you the opportunity to play games with your friends from around the world. You’ll also be able to “compete against players the world over” and team up with friends.
Play NES games with friends online
NES games, the Nintendo Classics from the 80s, will be playable with friends through Switch Online.
“As they say, playing together long distance makes the heart grow fonder,” noted Nintendo in the announcement.
The exclusive here? You can buy an old fashioned but updated (and wireless) NES controller for your Nintendo Switch.
The catch? You have to be a Switch Online member.
Save your games to the cloud
“With Nintendo Switch Online, game data is automatically backed up in the cloud,” the company highlighted.
This means that even if you switch consoles, your saved progress will remain when you log in to your account once more. This puts Nintendo’s online service in line with PlayStation Now and Xbox Live.
Chat with friends (who have smartphones)
Nintendo Switch Online will allow you to communicate with other players via voice chat.
But, there’s a catch. You’ll have to download a smartphone app.
The app can also connect to certain Switch games for extra features.
‘Special offers’
Nintendo Switch Online also gives its members “special offers”. Nintendo did not revealed what these offers might be, but it made it clear that these will not be available in all countries.
More fine print in the trailer shows that you’ll need stable internet and compatible smartphone to access all of Switch Online’s features.
The South African price
For those in South Africa, the service will be live on 19 September and feature these pricing tiers:
- Single account, and individual membership: R52 for one month.
- For a single account, Individual membership:R105 for three months.
- For a single account, Individual membership: R262 for 12 months.
Additionally, a single family membership, which can accommodate up to eight accounts simultaneously, will be priced at R459 for 12 months.
Feature image: Gearburn
