At this point, Xbox Game Pass is very well known as being “the best value in gaming.” Frankly that’s not too off base, considering how many games are available on the service to play on both Xbox and PC. Microsoft is building a completely new platform for next-gen and beyond with Game Pass, giving players an affordable monthly option to have access to first-party exclusives day-and-date alongside a variety of other titles. Nintendo Switch could benefit from a similar service, and while it’d never be on the same tier as Game Pass, it’d be very worth it.
For now, Nintendo Switch does have a similar service only for NES/SNES games with Nintendo Switch Online. As great as those offerings are, it’s still nothing compared to what virtual console used to be on the Wii/Wii U. That’s where a Nintendo version of Game Pass could come into play, and frankly it would do just as well. The system could include first-party titles like Xbox, or just in general act as a replacement to Virtual Console. Either way, it’d be a huge boon to Nintendo with the Switch’s already massive success.
Unlike the Wii/Wii U console generations, there’s a big backwards compatibility hole where Virtual Console used to be for Nintendo Switch. The closest thing to backwards compatibility so far has been the release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which some are positing as a proof of concept for further Switch emulation. But other than that, the only other offering of backwards compatibility is Nintendo Switch Online. Those who subscribe to the online service also get a collection of NES/SNES games free to play (and download) on Nintendo Switch. There’s no Virtual Console-like storefront on Switch, something that prospective buyers were excited to see before the Switch released.
Back on the previous console Wii U, there were more than just NES and SNES games available to play via emulation on Virtual Console. Alongside those, players had the opportunity to pick up a selection of Game Boy Advance games, Nintendo 64 games, Nintendo DS games, along with full backwards compatibility with the Wii games and the Wii eShop. Wii Virtual Console on its own had an even greater selection of retro titles from the likes of the Neo Geo, Sega Genesis, Sega Master System, and more. A Game Pass-like subscription service on Nintendo Switch would be the perfect way to bring those titles back in an enticing and affordable capacity.
Or, in a very unlikely move from Nintendo, the Switch could go full Xbox Game Pass and go even further. Nintendo Switch’s version of Game Pass could include triple-A, first-party titles, either alongside classic titles or as its own Switch-specific service. Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, they could all be part of one unified service that bundles all of the best Nintendo Switch exclusives together.
Unfortunately Nintendo has never been very keen on putting it’s major first-party games on sale, let alone adding them to an affordable subscription service. Now granted, Nintendo games probably aren’t going to be rising to $70 like PlayStation and Xbox games may be, but it is worth noting that they’re practically always sold at full price every year. That being said, if Nintendo wanted to keep a similar revenue stream while still creating a Game Pass-like service, Nintendo could certainly justify a higher price-per-month. Considering Nintendo Switch Online is only $20 per year, a higher price-per-month could be possible.
Nintendo could pick up on Xbox’s approach to backwards compatibility and Game Pass if the company truly wishes to. Nintendo’s had plenty of experience with Virtual Console, and more recently with NES/SNES online. Plus, if 3D All-Stars really is acting as a test bed for further efforts in emulation, that could lead to a more ambitious offering from Nintendo later on. Not to mention the many thousands of indie games and third-party games that have released successfully on Switch. Many Switch enthusiasts have already bought plenty of expandable storage, so adding some kind of subscription service like Game Pass would be a really smart move for the Switch console.
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