Nintendo Switch Online tops 15 million subscribers
Service reaches milestone in around 16 months
Nintendo Switch Online now has over 15 million paying members, according to the platform holder.
Launched in September 2018, the service is required to play most Switch games online (Fortnite is a notable exclusion).
Members can also access a growing library of classic NES and SNES games, back up save data online, and receive special offers including free access to Tetris 99.
“One more point to mention is the more than 15 million accounts worldwide with a paid membership to Nintendo Switch Online, and those sales occupy a certain presence within our digital sales,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said during a financial results briefing this week.
“But while new members continue to join, there are also those who do not renew their memberships. We will continue to enhance the appeal of the service to bring more features and more fun to Nintendo Switch.”
The 15 million members figure is up from over 10 million reported in July 2019.
It represents a significant portion of the console’s user base — Nintendo said this week that Switch shipments have exceeded 52 million units, with sell-through (unit sales by retailers to consumers) totalling some 48 million.
While Nintendo is making strides in the online space, it’s still some way behind the competition — PlayStation Plus has 38.8 million subscribers, while Xbox Live has over 65 million monthly active users.
During its financial results briefing, Nintendo also said it has no plans to launch a new Nintendo Switch model during 2020.
