Nintendo Highlights Switch 2’s Exclusive Online Features

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home April 5, 2025 32 Views 4 Min Read
Nintendo Highlights Switch 2's Exclusive Online Features

Summary

  • Nintendo Switch Online will soon offer several features exclusive to the Switch 2.
  • The new offerings include access to a limited catalog of GameCube titles, as well as free upgrade packs for the Switch 2 Editions of select games.
  • NSO will also offer GameChat, which will be free for Switch 2 owners until March 31, 2026.

The Switch 2 version of Nintendo Switch Online will offer several exclusive features, including access to select GameCube games. Nintendo has highlighted these unique selling points as part of a recent product event meant to build anticipation for its upcoming console.

The first Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct took place on April 2, revealing a variety of new details about the device. Following up on that move, two Nintendo Treehouse: Live presentations were held on April 3 and 4, offering a showcase of many Switch 2 launch titles and some previously unconfirmed console features.

Switch 2 in dock

Related


Dev Compares Nintendo Switch 2 to Mid-Tier PC

The Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware performs about as well as a mid-range gaming PC according to one long-time Triple-A game developer.

Among other things, the April 4 event highlighted some Switch 2-exclusive features of Nintendo Switch Online, including access to GameCube titles. Around a dozen GameCube games have so far been confirmed to be coming to NSO, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Kirby Air Riders, Super Mario Sunshine, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. Ditto for Luigi’s Mansion, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Super Mario Strikers. Not every one of these titles may necessarily be available from day one, though all are expected to be added to the Nintendo Switch Online catalog before the end of 2025. The GameCube library will be an exclusive perk of the NSO + Expansion Pack tier of the service.

Switch 2-Exclusive NSO Features

Nintendo Switch Online features Switch vs Switch 2 comparison
  • GameChat (NSO)
  • GameCube Games (NSO + Expansion Pack)
  • Select Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade packs (NSO + Expansion Pack)

Switch 2 owners who buy an NSO + Expansion Pack subscription will also get access to upgrade packs for select Switch 2 Edition games. The full list of these offerings has yet to be confirmed, although Nintendo did already mention several of them, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, Mario Party Jamboree, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land are also slated to receive Switch 2 edition upgrades, together with Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

The final NSO feature exclusively available for Nintendo’s upcoming console is GameChat, which is tied to the Switch 2’s C button. The system allows a group of up to 12 people to chat while using their consoles, even if they are playing different games. Apart from voice chat, GameChat will also support screen sharing and work in both handheld and docked modes. The feature will be compatible with the console’s built-in parental controls, although it’s still unclear how granular its settings will actually be.

Unlike the other two Switch 2-exclusive NSO features, GameChat will be treated to an extensive free trial period. Switch 2 owners will be able to access it at no cost between the console’s June 5 launch and March 31, 2026. Afterward, GameChat will require a basic NSO membership, which starts at $19.99 per year.

Source link