Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Report: Nintendo President Shares Switch Online Services Pricing, VR Considerations
The Nikkei Asian Review is reporting new details revealing subscription pricing for the Nintendo Switch's online services.
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima tells the Nikkei that the online game services will come at an annual cost of 2,000 to 3,000 yen, or approximately $17.60 to $26.40.
Kimishima also says Nintendo is studying the possibility of adding virtual reality options for the Switch, but only if Nintendo is able to resolve issues connected to discomfort using VR over multiple hours. Previously, Kimishima has said that Nintendo has interest in VR, but this latest report indicates the primary dilemma facing the company before committing to VR.
We have reached out to Nintendo for confirmation on both online service pricing and the possibility of VR, and we will update this story if we hear back.
[Source: Nikkei Asian Review, via @serkantoto]
Our Take
Even if we take these statements at face value, the online services pricing that Kimishima suggests is specifically tied to Japanese currency. Given that Nintendo has previously not had a subscription plan for its online services, it’s hard to know whether Japanese pricing would be the same in North America.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
