You might have heard of Nintendo Switch Online from your child Or maybe a friend suggested it to you, but you’re not quite sure what it is. Is it safe for your kids? Is it worth the price? Today I’m going to try and answer these questions for you and help you make an informed decision. What is Nintendo Switch Online?
The Quick Answer
Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription provided by Nintendo for players who want to access certain online content. The subscription also provides access to select services like cloud storage and free games.
However, the main reason people choose this service is so that their kids can play games online with their friends. This is also the thing that causes the most concern for parents.
What Does Online Play Look Like?
Some games, like Fortnite, are what is called Battle Royale games. These are games that pit large number of players against each other and last man(or team) standing wins. These games are extremely popular for both the competition and the ability to play with your friends.
Typically, players are limited to only 4 or 5 of their friends at a time, and the rest of the spots in the game are random strangers. If you’re worried about who your child is interacting with in online games, you can take steps through parental controls to limit their exposure.
However, if you want to completely prevent them from playing with strangers, you’re going to have to restrict games like Fortnite in their entirety as this is the core of the game.
There are other games, like Minecraft, where they can play singleplayer, or they can join online servers and play with friends and/or strangers. The amount of exposure your child has really comes down to how involved you are with them when they play video games and what restrictions you have put in place.
What Does Nintendo Switch Online Cost?
The subscription for Nintendo Switch Online has a couple of different tiers. There are single and family subscriptions. A single subscription only covers one Nintendo account, so if you have multiple children, you may want to look into the family plan as it is much more affordable.
The single subscription costs about $20 for the year, while the family plan costs $35. Both versions come with Online Play, access to a bunch of classic Nintendo games(like Metroid and Super Mario Bros), Cloud Data Storage, access to special game features through the Nintendo Switch Online App, and special offers in the Nintendo e-Shop.
The only difference between the two subscriptions is that the family plan allows for 8 accounts while the single plan only allows 1.
Wrapping Up
Nintendo Switch Online is a fun, helpful service that can give your kids access to lots of fun new content. But you should always be careful when allowing them to access the internet. Parental Controls and Device Restrictions are great tools to help keep your kids safe, but nothing beats your presence in the moment.
What was your experience with Nintendo Switch Online? Did your kids enjoy the old Nintendo Games? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!