When I published my review of the Nintendo Switch this morning, I had no idea what the eShop looked like. Accessing it requires me to download an update, but as of this afternoon, that update still isn’t available. It’s beginning to look like the Switch’s online functionality won’t be pushed out until hours (or minutes) before launch, but on Wednesday, Nintendo shared a video giving us a glimpse of the eShop.
As you can see in the following video, the eShop is accessible via its own dedicated button on the home screen. When you open the eShop, the Switch will confirm the active user (a nod to the eight potential user accounts you can create on a single console). In the eShop, you’ll find these sections: Recent Releases, Coming Soon and Enter Code. Selecting a game will allow you to purchase it or add it to your wish list.
If you decide to make a purchase, you’ll be presented with the chance to merge your Nintendo Account (a new creation for the Switch) with the Nintendo Network ID that you used on your Wii U or 3DS. You will then be able to use the same wallet across all three systems if you so choose.
There’s also a fairly robust search menu that allows you to set filters for price range and genre, although that’s not going to be of much use at launch. Finally, Nintendo says that games will continue to download even when the Switch is in sleep mode, which isn’t surprising, but we’re still glad to know for sure.
Whenever the eShop and other online functionality begins to roll out, we’ll be sure to add our impressions to our review. In the meantime, check out our favorite and least favorite things about the Switch.
