Nintendo Switch Won't Launch with a Web Browser

Nintendo’s Switch isn’t going to have a lot of things: a strong launch library, Netflix, voice communication built into the system… and now, we’re learning it’s also not going to have a web browser when it first launches. We learn this thanks to an interview between Time Magazine and Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima:

"In terms of the Internet browser, since all of our efforts have gone toward making Switch an amazing dedicated video game platform, it will not support it, at least at launch,"

Is this heartbreaking? No, not really. While the Wii U had some pretty cool functions with its built-in browser, such as being able to open it without closing out of your game, just about no one uses their console to browse the web anyway, at least not extensively. So it’s not exactly going to be a deal-breaker for its absence, but it does make me personally wonder just how rushed the Switched actually is. I mean, the console has already taken a quality-hit because it was apparently rushed, and now we’re missing what’s widely considered to be basic software (a browser and Netflix) which will be added “later”.

It reminds me of when game makers release unfinished games and patch them later: it makes for a bad first impression, and when we’re talking about something as huge as a console, Nintendo cannot afford to make a bad first impression.

But, that’s all just speculation on my part. The rest of the interview was pretty interesting as well, if you wanted to give it a more complete read. It's good that Nintendo is opening up with the console more as we speed to its release, but it's still a bummer it's taken us this long to get to this point. With luck, it won't effect them too badly... in case you needed reminding I'm not actually rooting for the Switch to fail.