Nintendo has revealed the price of its online service for the Nintendo Switch and it's surprisingly cheaper than expected. The company also announced that it has plans to have VR support for the hybrid console.
Nintendo Online Service Comes Cheap
When Nintendo announced that Switch owners need to dole out some cash to avail of its online service, many people considered this as a bad move by the gaming legend. These same people are likely backtracking on their statements and complimenting Nintendo for the service's low price. The annual fee for the paid online service will be somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 yen according to Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima. That's roughly equivalent to $17.60 to $26.40 USD. Now consider that PlayStation Plus and Xbox Gold charges a $60 annual fee for such services and the negativities regarding the Switch's paid service should quickly dissipate.
According to ARS Technica, the paid online services for the Switch will be necessary to have access to some games. The service will initially be available for free before the annual charges kick in.
Nintendo Switch VR Headset
In other developments, the Nintendo Switch will likely have support for virtual reality. According to Polygon, Kimishima was asked in an interview about the possibility of VR in the new console and he replied that the Switch will indeed support VR as soon as the company finds a way to make it comfortable to users. Considering that the Switch weighs 10.48 ounces and its tablet alone measures 6.5 inches diagonally, playing it for long hours may take a toll on the user's neck.
The concept of VR support for the Switch is not new. Back in December last year, a patent by Nintendo was published showing a possible VR headset. The patent, which was filed in June, described how a display that could be mounted on the headset similar to how Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream View and other VR headsets work.
Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed the company's interest in VR but stressed that it wants the tech to be something fun and social. The Nintendo Switch is already acclaimed for being a 'social' way of gaming especially with how some of the Joy-Con games require players to face each other or look each other in the eyes. It remains to be seen if Nintendo will be successful in combining fun, social and comfort for its VR device.
