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It’s been over two years, why doesn’t the Nintendo Switch have a Netflix app?

Spill the beans, Nintendo.

Why the nintendo switch doesn't have netflix
Image: KnowTechie

One of the first things I did when I got my Nintendo Switch after finishing up the setup process was to see what kind of apps Nintendo offered for its latest console. Apparently, there are a lot of them. However, when it comes to watching videos, the options are limited.

To my surprise, I realized the company didn’t offer an app for Netflix. There’s one for Hulu and YouTube, but why not Netflix? What gives? The answer is a little complicated.

It’s been over two years since the Nintendo Switch was launched, so why isn’t the Netflix app available yet?

  • Short answer: There really isn’t one.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer here. Sure, there have been rumors and speculation about when it would be available on the Switch, but there is no concrete reasoning.

Back in June of 2018 at a Q&A panel in Silicon Valley, Netflix VP of device partnerships Scott Mirer said that video isn’t really a top priority for Nintendo. Gaming comes first. They would rather put that focus back to the console and its games during the consoles original launch. And that makes a whole lot of sense.

READ MORE: Can I use any charger with my Nintendo Switch?

The good news is that there’s a possibility the company will add Netflix to the Nintendo Switch sometime down the line. Again, it’s all just speculation at this point. We don’t have any concrete evidence. But we do have Netflix’s VP of device partnerships saying this:

“Whether that changes over time, we have a great relationship with them and look at the possibility of the Switch. We each have opportunity cost around that, but at some point, it might happen.”

Alright, so there’s still hope. The only bad news here is that we have to patiently wait until that happens and who knows how long that may be. I mean, it’s been two years already. Sigh.

READ MORE: How to change your region on the Nintendo Switch

For a software developer, I can’t imagine it being difficult to port Netflix over to the Nintendo Switch. If Sony and Microsoft can do it, why can’t Nintendo? There are reasons here, but unfortunately, Nintendo has them and they’re not sharing it with us.

Either way, our best suggestion is to suck it up and watch videos on YouTube and Hulu until Nintendo decides to port Netflix to the Switch. Or, you know, you could always send your complaints to Nintendo.

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Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.

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