All articles tagged with #nintendo switch online
Dataminers have identified a new 'Event Gifts' system in the latest Nintendo Switch Online app update (version 6.3.0). This feature, which appears on both Switch and Switch 2, allows for multiple simultaneous events that reward users with unique items. The system includes specific loading animations and sound effects, though Nintendo has not officially confirmed the details or release timeline.
A datamine of the Nintendo Switch Online app suggests a new event gifts system for both Switch 2 and Switch consoles, featuring multiple simultaneous events with unique media and audio cues.
Nintendo announced two Switch 2 bundles before a $50 price increase: a $550 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle that includes 90 days of Nintendo Switch Online and a $530 Nintendo Switch Sports Resort bundle, with the console price rising to $500 on Sept. 1. The bundles offer savings versus buying the items separately later, and the Sports Resort bundle arrives Oct. 22. A prior limited-time three-game bundle appears to be phased out as the price hike rolls in.
Nintendo announced a 39‑card physical collectible for completing the DK Challenge, limited to Nintendo Switch Online members on Switch 2. The set includes 24 cards from Donkey Kong Bananza and 15 from DK titles in Nintendo’s retro library. Redemption requires completing all missions by Sept 1, 2026; after finishing, players will receive an email in October with redemption instructions, and My Nintendo points aren’t needed. The DK Challenge was introduced in the June 2026 Direct, spans multiple Donkey Kong games, and a trailer plus a guide are available.
Square Enix outlined Final Fantasy XIV on Nintendo Switch 2: the Switch 2 version requires a separate subscription, with subscription fees waived for about a month after launch and a 30‑day free play window once that ends; if you have remaining time on other platforms, the Switch 2 sub is half price (not while free time is active). Payments on Switch 2 use FFXIV Coins bought via the Nintendo eShop and credited after you re‑log in; when playing only on Switch 2, all payments are via FFXIV Coins. A Nintendo Switch Online perk adds one free extra aetheryte destination, and linking your Nintendo and Square Enix accounts is required (they cannot be unlinked). Moving characters between platforms requires selecting your existing service account. Complete Editions are 30% off until Aug 13, 2026.
Final Fantasy XIV launches on Nintendo Switch 2 with a temporary launch subsidy: subscription fees are waived for about a month, followed by a 30-day free play period when you register a new platform; after that you must subscribe to continue. The Switch 2 version has its own subscription, with a possible half-price rate if you have active game time on another platform (not while free time is active). No Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to play, but Switch Online members get one free extra-aetheryte destination on the Switch 2 version. FFXIV Coins, bought via Nintendo eShop, pay for subscriptions and store items and are credited after you re-login. The Complete Edition is 30% off until Aug 13, 2026. To start, link your Nintendo and Square Enix accounts, purchase on the profile you’ll use, then relaunch to credit coins. The launcher will share game-news and early Switch 2 gameplay is available.
Nintendo Switch Online is adding a new feature: a screen color customization option for the Virtual Boy catalog, available starting August 4 and gated behind the Expansion Pack tier.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack adds Super Mario Sunshine to Switch 2’s GameCube Classics on August 13 as an emulated port with upscaled visuals and save states, completing the home-console 3D Mario lineup on Switch 2 after Sunshine’s 2020 Super Mario 3D All-Stars delisting; Zero Racers and D-Hopper join Virtual Boy Classics on August 4, and the NSO + Expansion Pack costs $50/year.
Nintendo Switch Online adds new free retro downloads for NES and Game Boy, with some titles accessible to all subscribers and others gated behind the Expansion Pack; the freebies run through September 3, 2026. Subscribers can also claim retro icons for Kuru Kuru Kururin and Clu Clu Land by playing the games and spending five Platinum Points per icon, with initial access requiring a subscription but retaining icons does not require ongoing access to the service.
Dataminers found that NES, SNES, and Game Boy NSO apps are being updated with in-game challenges, accessed through the Switch Online Home Menu. The challenges appear as collectible digital cards that track completion, hinting at a future achievements system, though the feature isn’t live yet.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack adds Donkey Kong 64 to its N64 Classics library, delivering four-player split-screen multiplayer and five Kong characters (Donkey Kong, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, Chunky) with the DK Rap. The 1999 Rare-published platformer lets players explore DK Island, collect bananas, and battle King K. Rool, with Japan receiving the same title next week as part of the ongoing library expansion.
Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can download and play 2025's Ball x Pit for free for 48 hours (through June 1) on Switch and Switch 2; the game isn’t free to keep and is a 15–25 hour, fast-paced roguelite from Kenny Sun & Friends and Devolver Digital.
Donkey Kong 64 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack library on June 4, 2026, playable via the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app; the 1999 platformer lets DK and friends explore, collect Golden Bananas, and play solo or in four-player battles.
Nintendo has announced that Donkey Kong 64 will join the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack's Nintendo Classics lineup on June 4, 2026, marking the first N64 release of the year. The Rare-made 1999 collectathon—featuring multiple playable characters and a quest to rescue DK's friends—joins the library alongside other retro favorites, despite its era's camera and backtracking quirks being noted by players.
Nintendo has announced that Donkey Kong 64 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on June 4, 2026, letting subscribers play as five Kongs in a retro N64 adventure with solo exploration or four-player split-screen battles.