Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service operated by Nintendo for its video game consoles, the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The service is Nintendo's third-generation online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and the Nintendo Network. The subscription service officially launched on September 18, 2018; an expanded tier of the service, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, was released on October 25, 2021. Nintendo Switch Online features include online multiplayer, cloud saving, voice chat via a smartphone app or GameChat, access to special profile pictures, as well as other promotions and offers. The service also includes access to a library of emulated retro games called Nintendo Classics. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack includes access to additional retro systems' libraries (up to GameCube as of June 2025) and downloadable content for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade packs for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were added as additional benefits for Expansion Pack members in June 2025. The base service on the original Nintendo Switch received mixed reviews; criticism at launch was directed at the requirement of using a smartphone app for voice chat, software library, limited selection of cloud save titles, and technical issues, although its price was praised. The Expansion Pack add-on also received divided responses, with controversy directed at its higher price.