Nintendo’s online Switch service will begin in 2018 and cost $20 a year

Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Nintendo of America

Nintendo has shed more light on the paid online subscription service it’s planning to offer for its Switch console, confirming US pricing, and stating that it will launch in full at some point in 2018.

The company says it will also launch a smartphone app alongside the service’s rollout next year that will let players invite friends, set up gaming sessions, or chat with friends during games on their second screens. We’ll get an early look at that software this summer, when Nintendo will put out a free, limited version of the app.

YOU’LL NEED TO PAY TO PLAY ONLINE

Online play for Switch games will be free until the full service comes online in 2018, at which point players will need to pay for membership in order to access online multiplayer. One month’s subscription will cost $3.99, with three months running to $7.99, and a year’s membership available for $19.99. In addition to multiplayer access, subscription also opens up eShop deals, meaning members will get money off new games bought through Nintendo’s digital download platform.

Also included in that fee are monthly classic games from Nintendo’s back catalog, updated with multiplayer support and playable on the new console. It’s not clear exactly which of Nintendo’s retro games will be available down the line, but the company references Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight and Dr. Mario on its site.