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The Nintendo Switch won’t have Netflix or other streaming apps at launch

The Nintendo Switch won’t have Netflix or other streaming apps at launch

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Nintendo’s focus at its Switch event last week was on the hybrid portable/home console’s lineup of games, with next to no information on the operating system or other functionality. Now, via some answers provided in response to questions asked by Kotaku, the company has revealed a little more information — but stayed quiet on a lot.

Here are a few things we’ve learned:

  • The Switch won’t support any video-streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu at launch. “All of our efforts have gone toward making the Nintendo Switch system an amazing dedicated video game platform,” the company says, although this functionality is “being considered for a future update.”
  • The Switch doesn’t work with any Wii or Wii U controllers right now, but “support for certain controllers may be considered” in the future. Hey — remember that Nintendo released a GameCube-to-Wii U adapter just for devoted Super Smash Bros. fans, so I suppose anything’s possible.
  • The Miiverse social network is gone, but Miis aren’t dead; there’s a Mii Maker tool hidden away in the Switch’s system settings. This lets you create an avatar, as with other Nintendo systems, and developers will still be able to include them in their games. This time, however, you also have the option to choose a profile picture from a selection of various Nintendo-themed images.
  • You can create up to eight user accounts on a Nintendo Switch. Users will have access to the eShop region that corresponds to the country of their account, suggesting that the Switch’s lack of region locking may apply to digital games too if you have a valid method of payment.

As for whether the Switch connects to existing Nintendo accounts, whether there’s an achievements system, whether you can transfer Virtual Console purchases over, or whether a Virtual Console will come to the Switch at all? “We have nothing to announce at this time,” says Nintendo.