[Update] Nintendo Switch's Online Subscription Service May Cost Less Than You Expect

With Switch, Nintendo will finally enter a space that Microsoft and Sony have been in for years, offering a subscription-based online service for its console. Most of the details about it still remain unknown, but we now have some idea of how much it may cost.

As relayed by industry analyst Serkan Toto on Twitter, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima has indicated to Japanese publication Nikkei that the online service will cost 2,000 - 3,000 yen annually. That translates to $17.62-$26.44 (16.39-24.58 EUR / 13.94-20.91 GBP).

Keep in mind--even if this ends up as the price in Japan--it doesn't mean it will be the same in other regions around the world. If it does, it would be far less than Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus go for in the US, whether you look at regular price ($60) or sale prices (in the $40 neighborhood).

Beyond the price, Kimishima didn't have much else to share about the service, which was first announced as part of the big Switch event in January. We know it's used to facilitate online multiplayer and provides access to a free NES or SNES game (possibly with online multiplayer added) each month. However, unlike the PlayStation Plus and Games With Gold freebies, free access to that game is only available for a single month.

This online service will be available through a beta test of sorts initially, with the full service--and its subscription fee--not debuting until sometime this fall.