Paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription service kicks off next month

By Gabe Gurwin Published August 10, 2018

Nintendo Switch review — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you own a Nintendo Switch right now, you can connect to the internet and play multiplayer in all supported games without having to pay an extra fee. That changes next month with the launch of Nintendo Switch Online, the console’s subscription service that also includes a few bonus features.

On the evening of Thursday, August 9, Nintendo revealed on Twitter that the Nintendo Switch Online service would launch in the “second half of September,” though the company still has not put a final date on when you’ll have to start paying. The service will be available in several different bundles, including one-month plans for $4, three-month plans for $8, and yearly plans for $20. Families can also purchase the yearly family membership for $35, which gives up to eight different users access to Nintendo Switch Online. This works differently than on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, when anyone playing on a user’s “home” console has access to the subscription’s benefits.

In addition to online play, a Nintendo Switch Online membership includes access to a vault of classic NES Games, effectively replacing the Virtual Console that Nintendo has used in the past. Launch titles include Donkey Kong, Balloon Fight, The Legend of Zelda, and Dr. Mario, and online functionality has been added to all of them. They also support voice chat through the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app, though it’s honestly easier to just use Facetime or Skype while you play, instead.

Only NES games will be offered through the service, at least right now, giving Switch owners no way to play classic SNES games on the system. It certainly makes the SNES Classic a more attractive console.

Lastly, having a Nintendo Switch Online subscription will give you access to cloud save backups. The is currently no way to backup save files on the Switch using an external drive or the internet, though you can transfer data between two Switch consoles directly. Finally giving players the peace of mind that their Switch getting broken won’t mean the death of their 300-hour Breath of the Wild game is certainly welcome, though we wonder why it’s only included with the subscription.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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3 retro classics to play on Nintendo Switch Online this weekend (May 3-5)

Kirby and his friends post in Kirby and the Amazing Mirror art.

With rumors of a new Nintendo console heating up, it's once again time to accept that the Switch's long lifespan is coming to its end. 2024 will likely be the system's last full year before a successor steals its thunder. That's apparent in Nintendo's recent first-party offerings, as the system is getting a lot of remasters and niche curveballs this year. As exclusives like Endless Ocean: Luminous underwhelm, you may have found yourself looking for reasons to fire up your Switch.

Thankfully, you have a lot of great excuses to do so if you're subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online. The service is home to plenty of classic games from the NES up to the Nintendo 64. Even if you're a game historian, there's a good chance you haven't played everything Switch Online has to offer. This weekend, I have three recommendations for anyone looking to fire up some great, old games. These aren't random picks; I've chosen three games that feel spiritually linked to some of this spring's biggest games.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

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Is Stardew Valley cross-platform?

Stardew Valley Multiplayer Fishing

Stardew Valley is a game made by just one person, but it has seen more success than most games made by dozens, or even hundreds, of people. It's even one of Digital Trends' top 50 video games of all time. Since its release in 2016, the game has been updated regularly with new features and content to keep its avid fans coming back. This includes an online multiplayer component that allows you and up to three friends to hang out on each other's farms. And with the recent trend of games allowing players on different platforms to join together, you may wonder if Stardew Valley offers cross-platform functionality. Here's everything we know about cross-platform support in Stardew Valley.
Is Stardew Valley cross-platform?
Stardew Valley does not offer cross-platform support, meaning you can't play online multiplayer between any of the systems the game is on. So if you want to team up with some friends, make sure you all are playing on the same platform, such as the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, or PC. Also be aware that whoever starts a multiplayer game is saving that shared world locally, meaning no one else can reenter that world without the host present.

The sad fact of the matter is there doesn't seem to be any indication that crossplay will come to Stardew Valley. The game's official Reddit still lists it as not being supported, and there was only one mention of it by the developer on Twitter back in 2018, when he responded to a question asking if crossplay would come to the game. He replied, "Unfortunately, there will not be crossplay. Apparently, the technical barriers are very high. It's still something I really want to add and I promise to look into it more closely, but first priority is getting the update out there." This was many years ago, and there has been no further information about cross-platform play since, so it seems very unlikely that we will see support for this functionality come to Stardew Valley.

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If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

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