UPDATE: The Tweet originally referenced in the article has since been deleted. The Netflix customer support account sent a second tweet explaining the streaming company is "still exploring the opportunity" of bringing a Netflix app to the Switch. The company claims the original tweet was incorrect.
Correction: We are still exploring the opportunity with Nintendo, but don't have definitive plans to share at this time. The incorrect original tweet has been removed.
— Netflix CS (@Netflixhelps) January 15, 2018
Original story is as follows...
The Nintendo Switch launched with a disappointing number of additional features outside of the ability to play games on the go. Many inclusions that would be deemed standard, like an internet browser or a YouTube app, still aren’t available almost one year after launch. Streaming giant Netflix also remains absent, and it seems like that isn’t changing any time soon.
When asked if there were plans for Netflix on the Switch, the Netflix customer service Twitter account responded that there were no current plans to support the console. That seems surprising when Netflix was available on all previous Nintendo consoles, including the 3DS.
The Switch is also the fastest-selling console in U.S. history. It seems like a smart move to support such a popular device, especially when other services, like YouTube, also remain absent.
What’s more odd is this doesn't seem like it's a decision from Netflix. As we reported back in September, a Netflix customer service representative mentioned an app was ready to release for the Switch, but the company was waiting on approval from Nintendo.
So what is a Switch owner to do? Right now, the only real option outside of Japan is Hulu. The Hulu app was released for the Switch on Nov. 10, making it the first streaming service in America for the console. According to Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president, the focus for the Switch when the console launched was on making a great game console. “ We’re talking to a range of companies about other services, companies like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon — things that will come in time,” he told The Washington Post last March.
If the Netflix customer service rep is right, this means Nintendo must have a tight lock on what can be released for the Switch right now. Seeing as how Nintendo still hasn’t figured out its paid online service yet, there’s obviously still some kinks that need to be worked out. Priority for outside apps and services are most likely below these bigger issues.
So what do you think? Are you disappointed to see there aren’t any current plans to release Netflix on the Switch? Do you think Nintendo needs to open its doors more to new developers and apps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
