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There is good news and bad news for Nintendo fans

There is good news and bad news for Nintendo fans
Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

  • Updated:

If you’re a big fan of Nintendo and you like watching video on your Nintendo devices then there is some good news and bad news coming your way. Nintendo is simultaneously opening new ways of streaming video and closing down established ways of watching videos on its consoles.

new youtube app nintendo switch

There is a new YouTube app for the Nintendo Switch but all streaming services on the Nintendo Wii will close on January 31, 2019

Streaming video and your portable Nintendo Switch seems like a match made in heaven. In that respect, it is somewhat of a surprise that it has taken Nintendo so long to release a YouTube app for the Switch. Well, at long last, it is here and is free for all users.

The YouTube on Switch app has been optimized for use on Nintendo’s handheld console. It can be controlled via the Switch’s touchscreen and can even show 360-degree videos with the viewing angle being controlled by the left joystick. The app will also be useful both at home and while on the road. Content can be downloaded for later consumption and, if the Switch is docked, can also be watched on your TV.

The new YouTube app is available now in the Switch app store.

Soon, however, the Switch will be one of a shrinking number of ways owners of Nintendo consoles can stream video on their Nintendo devices. According to an email sent out by Netflix, Nintendo is putting an end to all video streaming services on the Nintendo Wii at the end of January next year. That means come February 1, 2019, streaming video will only be possible on the Nintendo Switch, the unpopular Wii U, and the handheld 2DS and 3DS devices.

“Unfortunately, Nintendo will suspend all video streaming services on Wii—including the Netflix Channel—after January 31, 2019.”

The Netflix email states that it won’t just be Netflix that is pulled from the Nintendo Wii. There is a clear indication that all services will be pulled including Amazon Prime and Hulu.

This is bad news for Nintendo owners as streaming is yet to take off on the Switch, despite the new YouTube app. When it first shipped, there were no streaming options, although Hulu was added not too long after launch. With YouTube there are now just two video streaming options on the Switch, even though it seems like the perfect device for consuming video. Perhaps with the announcement about the pulling of streaming services from the Wii, we can expect to see some news about services like Netflix and Amazon Prime coming to the Switch too. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney

Patrick Devaney is a news reporter for Softonic, keeping readers up to date on everything affecting their favorite apps and programs. His beat includes social media apps and sites like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Patrick also covers antivirus and security issues, web browsers, the full Google suite of apps and programs, and operating systems like Windows, iOS, and Android.

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