Pros and Joy-Cons
Nintendo likes to release news when I’m sleeping. Not that I’m complaining; I like waking up to some new revelation, sometimes bad, sometimes good. Today’s news falls under the good-bad category because the Nintendo Switch Online App was released today. I’ve been a naysayer of this app for a long time. Online is such a core component of gaming that it feels inexcusable that basic features like friend parties aren’t on the Nintendo Switch by default. Even the Vita had a party system. Regardless, this is the reality of the situation. It isn’t as though this is a foreign concept to Nintendo fans; all my online play on Wii U was conducted through text messages and phone calls with my friends. However, since the Switch’s launch, I’ve already been using a Nintendo Switch Online App, and it’s called Discord. For those that don’t know, Discord is essentially an app focused on gaming that allows you to set up voice chat right there, as well as message friends about game times. And unfortunately, it seems like I’ll be fielding invites from there primarily. That doesn’t mean that Nintendo's official app is all bad, there is actually quite a bit to like here. So, let’s start with the positives.
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| The Splatoon 2 features are the best part of the app |
There are actually many good ideas in this app. The ‘Game-Specific Services’ show the most promise, with services for Splatoon 2 already lined up. You can order gear, share high scores, and learn what the current battle stages are right from the app. And, it appears that come Splatoon 2’s launch this Friday, more features will be added as well. Another thing worthy of praise is the UI for the app itself. It has a very clean presentation that gives you all the information you need. Combined with push notifications that voice chat and/or a party have been set up, it will be very easy to get into a game with my friends. In my opinion, this seems like a more concise system than Discord. Finally, you can invite friends from social media apps such as LINE, Facebook, Twitter, and more to play with you. This is a fantastic idea, and I hope that Instagram becomes a place to invite people from, because that is really the only social media I use. On the whole, this is a great way to streamline getting in touch with friends and I’m interested to see exactly how it works. However, those are really the only positives I can see right now.
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| If the lobbies are on the console, why use an app at all? |
My biggest issue with this app is how invites work. You have to select ‘Online Lounge’ from the menu in Splatoon 2, and then create a room. Those actions both happen via the Switch itself. Then, you hop onto your phone and invite your friends into said room. If the Switch hosts the lobby, and the phone is really only there for the voice chat, well then why do we need an app at all? It seems to me that the infrastructure necessary is inside the Switch already. Couldn’t Nintendo just slap a microphone jack onto the bottom of the Pro Controller ( we pay enough for those controllers already) and allow us to chat through the system? It isn’t like all the setup is handled through the app and then you simply see a notification on Switch that you can accept and join the party. It seems to me like we’re one headphone jack away from this being built in functionality, the rooms are being hosted through the Switch so I don’t really see the problem with having the online onboard.
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| No ARMS or MK8D support... |
I’m also concerned about the lack of ARMS, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and general Voice Chat support. I understand that this is a limited version meant to demo the app’s functionality, but I can’t get a sense for how practical this app will be if I can’t demo Nintendo’s already released multiplayer games. Based on how game specific Splatoon 2’s party system is, well, if that is representative of the service on the whole, I’m concerned. I’d rather have one overarching voice channel so my friends and I can transition from ARMS, to Splatoon, to Mario Kart, to Bomberman, without having to make game specific chat-lobbies. And if we can't, will these older titles even get app support with an Online Lounge like Splatoon 2? This setup just opens a can of worms that could have been easily avoided had voice chat been built into the system.
I see the potential in the Nintendo Switch Online App. Unfortunately, I can just as easily see it become far to cumbersome to work. Nintendo should have accompanied the launch with a full press release about the app and its future, or just held off until later. I love the presentation and some of the features of the app, but if it is finicky or too restrictive, well, I’ll stick to Discord.
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