With Nintendo Switch Online’s release within the next 24 hours, there are quite a few pieces of fine print players should be aware of before pulling the trigger. Kotaku has put together a comprehensive list of some of the rather bizarre quirks the subscription has which may impact your decision on whether or not to use the service. Since we’ve already described how certain games, such as Fortnite, will be playable online without a subscription, let’s jump into some of the other pieces of fine print regarding Nintendo Switch Online.
Cloud Save Backups Get Wiped If You Don’t Resub
This is an extremely strange move on Nintendo’s part. Basically, if your subscription runs out and you don’t renew it automatically, you may end up losing all of your cloud saves. This is in stark contrast to how Sony gives you 6 months to resub before your data gets deleted. Microsoft doesn’t even charge players for cloud saves. Considering the deal its two biggest competitors are providing, it’s really confusing as to why Nintendo would choose to give their own customers such a poor offering.
Smartphone App Only Way To Voice Chat
Nintendo is forcing players to use their smartphone app in order voice chat – there currently is no other way of chatting with your friends while you play. Again, it’s not really clear as to why Nintendo thought that this would be the best solution for voice chat. Given how seemingly short the battery life of most major smartphones is, why would anyone want to accelerate the speed at which their phone dies? Couldn’t they just come up with a wireless headset accessory of some sort that could sync directly with the Switch?
Classic NES Games Can Be Played For 7 Days Offline
All of the classic NES games that are available as part of the Switch Online service can be downloaded onto the console and then played for 7 days offline. After 7 days, the player would need to connect online to refresh the 7 day limitation. This is pretty helpful if you plan to take your Switch with you on vacation or on a road trip where you might not always have a reliable internet connection.
NES Classics To Feature HD Resolution And Other Enhancements
The NES titles available through Nintendo Switch Online will also feature special enhancements such as HD resolution, online play, and a variety of extra add-ons. One particularly strange addition is this floating curser which a 2nd player can control, seemingly to point out stuff on the screen.
Whether or not you decide to subscribe might just boil down to the titles you want to play online. Right now, it isn’t clear what sort of logic determines if a new game will require the service or not. For example, if you’re just planning to play Fortnite right now with your friends, you won’t need to subscribe. In this case, it might be better to hold off on the service until a game comes out that requires it for online play.
If you’re still having trouble deciding if you need Nintendo Switch Online, be sure to check out their official FAQ page.
Featured Image Source: Wccftech
