Online Capabilities
This is where things start to get tricky. Nintendo will be charging a fee for online services granting features such as online multiplayer. However, that fee will not be issued for early console adopters. From the console’s launch to “Fall,” no fees will be charged. It seems likely that Nintendo wants to make sure things are stable before charging for the service.
There are some curiosities to this, however. At the time of this writing, I have not been able to lock down what type of networks the Switch will support (both the PS4 and Xbox One support networks up to 5Ghz), and previous accessory leaks indicate the Switch dock does not have a LAN port.
Another detail about this subscription also gives some indication of the future of Nintendo’s Virtual Console. According to the Nintendo website, subscribers will be given an NES or SNES game to play. As of this writing, the site includes language suggesting these games will only be playable in the same month; which seems strange. Other consoles have their own services like this, but they allow players to download and play the provided games on their time.
Also revealed as a result is that some SNES games will be updated versions that include online multiplayer. The first of these will be Ultra Street Fighter II, which will also receive new content.
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