Nintendo to Launch Paid Service, Switch Online, Next Year

Nintendo says that next year it will launch a paid service called Switch Online.

The forthcoming service will allow Nintendo Switch owners to enjoy online multiplayer gaming as well as a dedicated mobile app that connects to the Nintendo Switch console, which will help players chat with their friends during online matches in compatible games, set play appointments, and invite friends to join them online.

Nintendo says that a one-month membership will cost $4; a three-month membership will cost $8; and an annual membership will cost $40 per year.

Online play will remain free until this service is implemented next year, according to Nintendo.

The Wii, Nintendo’s last home console, has sold more than 100 million units since it launched more than a decade ago, making it the fifth best-selling videogame console of all time. The Switch is outpacing original Wii sales early on, though we’ll looking closely at Nintendo to see how the company plans to keep the momentum.