Nintendo Switch To Get First Video Streaming App In Japan

Current home consoles all have video streaming services and apps ready to download at launch, but the Nintendo Switch did not have those capabilities. However, the first video streaming app is finally coming to the Switch.

An app listing on the official Japanese Nintendo site for NicoNico, a popular Japanese streaming service, was found and confirmed by NicoNico on Twitter.

Here’s the official NicoNico Twitter account releasing a video of the app on the Nintendo Switch.

NicoNico is often compared to YouTube, but what makes the service stand out is that user comments appear over livestreams. This is also a platform that gaming companies use to announce events.

For those who may have forgotten, Pokken Tournament’s reveal in early 2016 was shown exclusively on NicoNico before The Pokémon Company released any information on the Bandai Namco fighting game.

Niconico was also the first video app for the PlayStation Vita.

The implementation of the Niconico streaming service app on the Nintendo Switch could open the door for other services like Netflix and Hulu.

When asked about the Switch having no streaming services, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime told The Washington Post that apps like Netflix and Hulu wouldn’t set the console apart, so there was no big push.

"We built the Nintendo Switch to be a world-class gaming device, meaning we want you first and foremost to play games on the system and have an incredibly fun experience," he said. "We're talking to a range of companies about other services, companies like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon -- things that will come in time. In our view, these are not differentiators."

While Fils-Aime stressed the push for games on the Switch, he didn’t rule out video streaming services coming to the console in the future and Japanese fans will finally get to see how the hybrid console handles it.

Niconico will be available in the Japanese eShop, July 13.

So what do you think of the Nintendo Switch getting its first video streaming service? What apps do you hope to see on the Switch? Let us know in the comments section below.