Nintendo Switch online service to be under $30 annually; VR functionality being considered

After Nintendo revealed the Nintendo Switch we were left questioning what type of fee the newly announced online service would incur and just what exactly the online service would offer. At the time, it was detailed that the service would feature a smartphone companion app, which would allow traditional features like playing with friends online, chatting, and more – but Nintendo was light on the details.

In an interview with Nikkei, Nintendo’s President Tatsumi Kimishima has revealed that the Nintendo Switch’s online feature will cost  2,000 yen to 3,000 yen ($17.60 to $26.40) – annually. That’s right, the Switch’s online service will be pretty darn affordable.

According to Kimishima, the fee will help Nintendo “fully commit” to users. “With paid [services], we will be able to fully commit to customers,” said Kimishima. Beyond that, Nintendo’s president was still light on the service’s offerings (though the news does come after Splatoon 2’s online features were detailed).

In addition to revealing the price, Kimishima revealed that Nintendo is “studying” adding virtual reality functionality to the Switch.

“If we are able to resolve the issues with playing [VR] comfortably for long hours, we will support it in one form or another.”

Nintendo revealed they were looking into VR back in February 2016 and it was a rumored feature for the Switch (before it was officially named).