On Wednesday, in a move that had Nintendo fans speculating, the company announced it was accepting applications from thousands of participants to test out a “new feature” coming to Switch Online, but what could it be? no one knows.
Nintendo announced that as many as 10,000 participants will be selected for the playtest, titled “Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program.” Entrants must have a valid Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, and as a little hint (perhaps?), Nintendo says, “To participate, customers must download specialized software to their Nintendo Switch system.” We need to,” he added. ”
We will be testing new features of #NintendoSwitchOnline on #NintendoSwitch. Starting October 10th at 8 a.m. PT, existing Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will be able to apply to participate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click here for details:… pic.twitter.com/PKAz20oD5G
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 9, 2024
Additionally, participants must be 18 years of age or older and have a registered Nintendo Account in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain. Participants from overseas will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, and participants from within Japan will be selected by lottery if there are too many applicants. Recruitment begins Thursday morning and ends October 15th.
But otherwise I have no idea what this “new feature” is. But considering Nintendo just announced new hardware in the unexpected form of an alarm clock, we’re open to surprises.
Nintendo Switch Online officially launched in 2018 and offers a variety of features for a monthly subscription, including cloud saves, online multiplayer, voice chat, and a library of NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color games. An additional expansion pack tier introduced in 2021 includes a library of N64, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance games, plus DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Splatoon 2. Masu.
Alex Steadman is IGN’s senior news editor and oversees entertainment coverage. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
