Nintendo Switch Online Will Be Cheaper Than Xbox One & PS4

We all know that the Nintendo Switch will be the very first Nintendo console to charge consumers for online service, and now we finally know how much it will approximately cost.  Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima announced in an interview with Nikkei that the annual cost for online service will be around 2,000 - 3,000 yen which equals out to around $17.63 - $26.40.  While it's a bit of a bummer that we'll have to pay an annual fee for yet another console, at least it won't be as much as the Xbox or PS4 fees. 

Tatsumi Kimishima justified the decision to have an annual fee by saying that "with paid (services), we will be able to fully commit to customers".  Whatever that actually means, it seems pretty vague to be an actual legitimate reason.  Either way, at least it doesn't come close to the annual online fee for Xbox Live or Playstation Plus, which both cost $59.99.  The pricing of the Switch's online fee makes sense when you consider what it actually provides versus the Xbox One or PS4.  Nintendo Switch's online service won't feature voice chat, lobbies or other social elements that were used to.  All the social elements of the console will be available through a dedicated mobile app, just not through the console.  

The Switch's online service will also give players one free NES or SUPER NES game per month, but they will only be playable for that specific month, and not after.  Nintendo will be featuring online play for these older games, which is definitely something special.  Although we won't be able to keep the games, the price reflects the features more or less.