Nintendo burns money without Virtual Console on Switch [MINI]

The Nintendo Switch expansion pack prices are overpriced, and the company is missing out by not bringing back the Virtual Console for the Switch.


Whereas nintendoThe current system of delivering classic games on Switch works quite well, it’s certainly not perfect, especially when compared to the Virtual Console system that was on the Nintendo 3DS, Wii and Wii U systems. Nintendo is a major player video game hardware and software since its first console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, released in the West in 1985, but much of the company’s famous catalog languishes on older systems. While there are plenty of modern and new releases to play on the Switch, hundreds of classic games are unavailable through the current Nintendo Switch Online expansion pack tier, making an almost indisputable argument for returning. of the virtual console.

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The N64 classics still missing from the Nintendo Switch show just how limited the expansion pack is. Currently, the only way to play classic games on Switch is through a Nintendo Switch Online membership. This subscription offers a selection of NES and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games. Upgrading to a Nintendo Switch Online membership with the expansion pack also grants the user access to select SEGA Genesis and Nintendo 64 (N64) titles. However, the monthly subscription prices are quite expensive for a service that still doesn’t offer as much as Nintendo’s old option, Virtual Console. As expensive as the current options are, allowing users to buy the games they want – which often leads to buying even more games – on Virtual Console could likely help Nintendo earn even more revenue.

Related: Steam Deck’s Ideal Games Prove The Switch Isn’t Deprecated


Nintendo Switch needs a better option for classic games

A collage of all major Nintendo consoles over the years on a blue background.  From left to right: Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, N64, Gamecube, Wii and Wii U. A Nintendo Switch is in the center of the image.

PlayStation 1 games continue to release on the Switch, but Nintendo’s own classic games remain absent from the console. As Nintendo’s most current and popular gaming system, it doesn’t make sense that the Switch would lack so much past Nintendo content. For the 3DS, Wii, and Wii U eras, Nintendo used Virtual Console – an eShop extension that housed downloadable versions of NES, SNES, GameCube, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance games.

The prices for the classic games featured were also extremely affordable, making Virtual Console a much better option for Nintendo than the pricey and lacking combo of Switch Online and Expansion Pack. Without Virtual Console, it seems unlikely that there’s an affordable way to play classic games on the Nintendo Switch.

It’s also a missed opportunity for Nintendo to appeal to a wider audience, by allowing more flexibility and freedom in the classic games players choose to play and pay for. Classic Zelda games that need a Switch port for forgotten gems, the possibilities are virtually endless as to what could be included on an updated Virtual Console. Retro games are incredibly important to gaming history, but they’re also always fun to play. As the nintendo Switch continues to be the most popular portable game console, a feature like Virtual Console becomes even more important.

More: How Pokémon Snap On NSO Compares To The Original N64 Game

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