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Nintendo is getting ready to join its competitors, Microsoft and Sony, in offering a premium online service for its flagship console. Nintendo Switch Online will launch sometime in September (Nintendo has yet to be more specific about the date), but Amazon is already listing pre-orders for three- and 12-month memberships as part of its Amazon Digital Services program.
Nintendo Switch Online has been a long time coming. Officially announced earlier this year, Nintendo has been working on its online functionality since the Switch hit shelves in March 2017. The online service will be accompanied by a mobile app to facilitate voice chat, access to over 20 NES games and the much-requested cloud storage. Come September, Switch owners will also have to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online in order to play Nintendo games like Mario Tennis Aces and Splatoon 2 in online multiplayer mode, which is currently available for free.
Amazon’s pages don’t provide any additional information about Nintendo Switch Online. The release date on the listing is set for December 31, 2018, which Amazon often does when selling an item that doesn’t have an announced launch date. Presumably though, as soon as the service launches, Amazon will fulfill orders; Nintendo said we should expect it to arrive in September.
A 12-month subscription costs $19.99, while a three-month subscription goes for $7.99. Nintendo will also offer a one-month subscription for $3.99 and a family membership for up to eight people for $34.99. Neither is listed on Amazon yet.
