As of September 30, 2024, Nintendo announced that its Nintendo Switch Online service had surpassed 34 million subscribers. This update was shared during a presentation by Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, which was part of the company’s second-quarter financial results and corporate management policy briefing. The presentation delved into the evolving dynamics within their dedicated video game platform business.
Interestingly, this current subscriber count reflects a dip from over 36 million in September 2022. Nintendo attributes this decline to the fewer new releases last year that focused on online gameplay. Despite this, they noted a steady uptick in subscriptions for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, ever since it was launched in 2021.
In a bid to enhance the appeal of Nintendo Switch Online, they’ve recently rolled out Nintendo Music. This music streaming service, exclusive to Online subscribers, can be accessed via a smartphone app.
A curious shareholder inquired if Nintendo Music might become available to non-subscribers, to which Furukawa clarified:
“Nintendo Switch Online is fundamentally designed to enhance the experience of using a Nintendo Switch, and we remain committed to this core objective. With Nintendo Music, we offer subscribers a way to enjoy Nintendo game music on their smart devices. This game music is a pivotal part of our content library, and we see it as a strategic move to broaden the audience familiar with Nintendo’s intellectual properties. By launching Nintendo Music, we’re delivering game music in a manner that’s uniquely Nintendo.
We hope that as people listen to Nintendo Music, it will evoke nostalgia and encourage a return to playing our games. Ultimately, we aim for Nintendo Music to serve as an additional incentive for maintaining a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.”
