Nintendo Switch Online

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Nintendo Switch Online (or NSO for short), is a paid online gaming subscription service for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, similar to PlayStation Network on the PlayStation consoles and Xbox Live on Xbox consoles. It was introduced in September of 2018, roughly a year after the Nintendo Switch's launch. At which time, games that used to have their online multiplayer functions accessible for free were locked behind this subscription service. The service also includes access to other things such as saving to the cloud, Nintendo Music, GameChat (Nintendo's new voice chat system introduced with the Nintendo Switch 2), and playing older Nintendo games from the NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, and Game Boy.

Nintendo offers the base subscription pack at either a free 7-day trial, once monthly (3.99), once every 3 months (7.99), or once ever year (19.99). Nintendo also offers a Family subscription pack exclusively yearly for $34.99. The family pack allows for up to 8 accounts to be connected on one plan. (More research needed on why the expansion pack and family subscription packs are only available yearly)

Some users have been banned from all online services, including Nintendo Switch Online after hacking their consoles.

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Unlike the base subscription Nintendo prices the NSO+EP exclusively as a yearly subscription for $49.99 (individual) or at 79.99 (Family). The expansion pack offers additional several services such as Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs for games, DLC, and access to games from older consoles such as the GameCube, N64, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.

Consumer impact summary

Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):

• User Freedom
• User Privacy
• Business Model
• Market Control

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Incidents

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Nintendo Classics subscription requirement

Nintendo Classics is the product line in which NSO subscribers gain access to games from older consoles via software emulation. Subscribers can download applications pertaining to a particular console's library, and thereby gain access to the games for that console which Nintendo has approved for the service. While the games are installed locally, the selection of games available can be changed any time by Nintendo. The selection of games has expanded over time, but in some instances, games were taken off the service.

This is in stark contrast to the 'Virtual Console' service Nintendo offered for their Wii, Wii U, and 3DS consoles previously, in which individual titles were available for a one-time purchase and digital download.