Nintendo announces playtesting program for mystery Switch Online feature

Nintendo has announced that it will hold a playtest for an unreleased Switch Online feature later this month, with up to 10,000 participants.

The details:

• Applications for the "Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program" will open on October 10 at 3pm UTC, with the program running from October 24 to November 6. The program will accept "as many as" 10,000 participants, with Western countries operating on a first-come, first-served basis, and Japan holding a lottery draw if there are too many applications.

• Candidates must be active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members as of October 9, 2024, be at least 18 years old, and have an account registered in Japan, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain.

• It’s unknown what the “new feature” being tested is, but Nintendo says that users must "download exclusive software to their own Nintendo Switch system in order to participate" in the test. Some speculate that it could be related to Nintendo's Alarmo clock, which was announced yesterday and is a timed exclusive for Switch Online users until early 2025.

• Switch Online was launched in 2018, and in addition to providing access to online features in various games, the service also offers a catalog of NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color titles to all users. Those willing to pay a little more can sign up for its expansion tier, which grants access to an increasing number of Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, and Game Boy Advance titles. Given that the playtest requires the expansion tier, it's possible that the feature is related to the company's classic titles.

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