The Virtual Console was one of the few shining lights on the Wii U, a service that had also been available on the Wii and 3DS. Many had expected that it would also be coming over to Switch, but there’s been almost no word on it since the console launched.
Perhaps unsuprisingly, after speaking to Kotaku, Nintendo confirmed that there were still no plans to bring Virtual Console to Switch:
“There are currently no plans to bring classic games together under the Virtual Console banner as has been done on other Nintendo systems.”
This is a blow for hopes of seeing the Virtual Console on Switch, but not one that definitively quells any chance of a similar system arriving on Switch, just not under the Virtual Console banner. Whatever the case, it’s going to be a while until we see if anything comes of this: Nintendo have only just revealed more details of their so-so online service for the Switch.
Nintendo would be making a huge mistake by not introducing something similar for their flagship. Not only did the Virtual Console allow players to find old games from different systems, but it was fairly diverse and not lacking in options. While Nintendo Switch Online will give players the ability to play some old games as part of its curated collection each month, it’s only a select few.
It’s true that older games are being ported to the Switch, but as with most games on the platform, the markup in price is somewhat insane. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, while featuring some new content, is very much the same game as the one that landed many decades prior, if not perhaps even slightly worse thanks to some finicky controls.
If you read into Nintendo’s comment to Kotaku a little too closely, you might notice a glimmer of something in their closing statement. When asked about the possibility of a subscription service coming to the Switch, the spokesperson was very straightforward: they had “nothing to announce on this topic.”
Could this be a hint that they will be looking to revamp Virtual Console into a subscription service, a la Game Pass? It wouldn’t come as a surprise: the industry is shifting more and more towards monthly payments from gamers as they’re continuous investments. But would it just incorporate NES and SNES games or would it also include Gamecube and Switch titles? An interesting question, for sure.
Bringing Virtual Console or a variant of it to the Switch is what the fans want. Nintendo has a storied history of shooting themselves in the foot by not listening to feedback or those clamouring for something — Virtual Console isn’t too far behind a Mother 3 localisation on a lot of wishlists. Introducing a Virtual Console would be such an easy win for the company and add yet another plus point to buying a Switch. If they don’t, Nintendo may as well point fans in the direction of the nearest emulator themselves.
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