Nintendo Is Testing A Secret New Switch Online Feature

As people continue waiting patiently for official news of the Switch 2, Nintendo has taken the unusual step of rolling out a public testing program for a secret new piece of Switch software. It filled up in seconds as players eagerly signed up to be guinea pigs for whatever the Mario maker is cooking up. No one knows for sure what that might be, but fans are already speculating based on some new clues.

“We will perform a test called Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program related to a new feature for the Nintendo Switch Online service offered for the Nintendo Switch system,” the company announced yesterday. It said the only requirements for acceptance were that users be 18 years old, have a registered Nintendo account, and an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

The slots appeared to fill up within seconds of applications going live. “Registration for this test is now full. Thank you for your interest and participation!” the company later tweeted. But those combing through the website were able to garner some additional info about the mysterious test.

According to dataminer OatmealDome, downloads for the special software would start the week of October 21 with the test going live on October 23. Users need at least 2.2GB free on their Switch’s internal storage. “Nintendo also recommends using TV mode and a wired connection during the test,” OatmealDome added.

That last part might be the most telling, and it has some fans thinking this might be a test for a new cloud streaming feature. That would explain why a wired connection is recommended and why users must have active Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscriptions. Presumably, if there was a cloud streaming feature, it would be paywalled behind that $50 a year membership. Or perhaps Nintendo would even use it to raise the price. Streaming could be used to play newer games that the Switch isn’t natively powerful enough to run, or even facilitate retro emulation for devices like the GameCube or Nintendo DS.

There have already been streaming experiments on Switch, though they’ve rarely gone well. The Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 remasters, for example, are only available on Nintendo’s device via streaming, as is the Resident Evil 2 remake. It’s possible the new software might aim to remedy those shortcomings, or be part of a third-party partnership. Ubisoft has the rights to stream Activision Blizzard games over Ubisoft+ as part of the Microsoft acquisition. Maybe Nintendo is testing how to bring Diablo IV and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to Switch via the cloud?

Then again, Nintendo rarely takes the most predictable path. It’s already announced a $100 alarm clock this month instead of the Switch 2. Maybe the new Switch software feature being tested is just paid virtual tours of the company’s new museum that opened this month.