Did you remember that Nintendo Switch Online has its own dedicated app on mobile devices? Well, Nintendo has, and it’s finally updated it with some critical new functionality.
The 2.0 update for the app was recently rolled out, and with it has come a new UI, and the ability for friends to see their online status. Users can also now view their own friend codes within the app, thus taking the way the extra step of only being able to see it on the Nintendo Switch itself.
While the overall update isn’t anything earth-shattering, these new features certainly improve the user experience, even if it is only a minor improvement.
The Nintendo Switch App is used for functioning as a sort of “hub” for all of the social operations for the service, primarily as it relates to voice chat. That being said, Nintendo itself hasn’t really done too much with the app despite it being out for the last few years; the fact that this update is only just now patching in online statuses shows that.
It’s for this reason why Nintendo has gained so much flack surrounding the Switch Online app, in addition to the service itself.
Critical customers have described it as being “lackluster” and “cumbersome” for the last several years. Lackluster due to the overall service being very lightweight compared to the likes of Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, and cumbersome due to rudimentary features like voice chat being regulated to the app only (though some Switch titles do actually support voice chat natively).
Despite the criticism, Nintendo is continuing to build upon the Switch Online service with regular updates, such as the recent introduction of the service’s Expansion Pack which adds more content for a higher fee. The service was also recently updated with a new ‘Mission & Rewards’ system to encourage frequent use.
