Editing Nintendo Switch Online

{{WIP}}
:''This article is for emulation on the Nintendo Switch with Nintendo's official Nintendo Switch Online service. For online play see [[Nintendo Switch emulators#Connectivity|Connectivity]].''
{{Infobox emulator
|title = Nintendo Switch Online
|logo = Nintendo Switch Online.png
|active = Yes
|platform = [[Emulators on Switch|Nintendo Switch]]
|target = [[Nintendo Switch Online#List_of_emulators|Various]]
|compatibility = Varies by emulator
|accuracy = Varies by emulator
|version = 6.8.0 (<abbr title="Nintendo Entertainment System">NES</abbr>)<br>6.7.0 (<abbr title="Famicom">FC</abbr>)<br>3.9.0 (<abbr title="Super Nintendo Entertainment System">SNES</abbr>)<br>3.9.0 (<abbr title="Super Famicom">SFC</abbr>)<br>1.8.0 (<abbr title="Game Boy">GB</abbr>)<br>2.16.0 (<abbr title="Nintendo 64 International">N64 INT</abbr>)<br>2.16.0 (<abbr title="Nintendo 64 Japan">N64 JP</abbr>)<br>1.0.0 (<abbr title="Nintendo 64 (18+ [R] rating in japan)">N64 +18</abbr>)<br>1.7.0 (<abbr title="Game Boy Advance">GBA</abbr>)<br>1.7.0 (<abbr title="Game Boy Advance Japan">GBA JP</abbr>)<br>2.6.0 (<abbr title="Sega Genesis/Mega Drive">GEN</abbr>)
|architecture = ARM
|developer = NERD
|website = [https://www.nintendo.com/us/switch/online/ American website]<br>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/hardware/switch/onlineservice/index.html Japanese website]
|bios = Varies by emulator
}}

'''Nintendo Switch Online''' ('''NSO''') is an official subscription service for the '''[[Nintendo Switch emulators|Nintendo Switch]]'''. Working pretty much like [[Xbox Live|Xbox LIVE]] or [[PlayStation Network]], it provides the user with access to online game play (except for free-to-play games, which aren't required), cloud saving, and a compilation of retro games divided into multiple apps. A monthly or annual fee is required, with the prices varying by type of plan, and Nintendo Account type (individual or child). Not every country has access to the service, such as Taiwan.

The retro game apps allow the player to emulate classic systems, offering a selection of titles added by Nintendo on an irregular basis. Some systems are locked onto the more expensive Expansion Pack tier; notably this includes the systems for which the emulators weren't solely developed by NERD.

==List of emulators==
All of these were developed primarily, if not entirely, by [[wikipedia:Nintendo European Research & Development|Nintendo European Research & Development]]. Any relevant co-developers are mentioned in the description.
;[[L-CLASSICS]]  ([[NES|Nintendo Entertainment System]] & [[SNES|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]])
:Based on the [[Kachikachi]] emulator that NERD originally created for the NES Classic dedicated console, with the obvious addition of SNES emulation. It's certainly not the most accurate emulation of either of these systems compared to the ''many'' third-party options, but it works well enough for all of the games on offer and the SNES app has a surprisingly top-notch netplay system.
;[[Hiyoko]] ([[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy/Game Boy Color]])
:Seems to have been made from the ground up specifically for Switch Online, unlike most of the other emulators here. It can only run games in Color mode, but otherwise it's very accurate and even does a good job of replicating the less common hardware for games that need it (e.g. the gyro sensor for ''Kirby's Tilt 'n' Tumble'').
===Expansion Pack only===
;[[Hovercraft]] ([[Nintendo 64]])
:Co-developed with [[wikipedia:iQue|iQue]], and even based on iQue's notoriously imperfect N64 emulator for the Wii U, Hovercraft has a rather sour reputation as the most flawed emulator that Switch Online has to offer. Post-release updates have done a lot to improve it, but it's still not ideal and continues to draw unfavorable comparisons (deserved or not) to [[wikipedia:Nintendo Software Technology|NST]]'s much-beloved N64 emulator for the Wii.
;[[Sloop]] ([[Game Boy Advance]])
:Co-developed with one of Panasonic's internal software teams, Sloop is accurate enough to [https://twitter.com/LuigiBlood/status/1624005571815899136 pass the AGB Test Cartridge hardware test] (something many third-party GBA emulators couldn't do at the time of Sloop's initial release), and can even replicate the rumble feature of the GameCube's Game Boy Player for titles that supported it.
;[[m2engage]] ([[Sega Genesis emulators|Sega Genesis]])
:Co-developed with the venerable [[wikipedia:M2 (game developer)|M2]], which has a long history of making first-party emulators and retro re-releases, especially for Sega. The Genesis games offered on Switch Online are mostly the same ones you'll find on other widely-available Genesis collections, but the Switch Online app is arguably the best official way to play most of them.

==Controllers==

For subscribers, Nintendo sells controllers based on the consoles that are available on the service (except for handheld systems). On Switch, these controllers can be used only for the app corresponding with the system that is played. Some of the general features are:

* All controllers can be connected to certain devices through Bluetooth (4.0 or higher), some of them can also be used through their USB-C connector and can even be used with common PC games through Steam;
* Most controllers behave the same as Switch Pro Controller, besides limitations on the number of buttons that are available for each design;
* All controllers had extra buttons which are exclusive to functions related to the system (HOME, Capture, and Pair / Sync);
* A maximum of 4 controllers can be sold per Nintendo Account;
* It can be sold only for selected users who have an active NSO subscription (and an active NSO + Expansion Pack subscription for the systems locked to this tier). These controllers are not available to deliver for every NSO user around the world (Nintendo of America sells them only to users in the US and Canada, but not to Brazil, Mexico, and other countries from the Americas; for Japan, the player must be an actual resident of the country), forcing the user to reach secondary markets for additional controllers and/or variants (e.g.: eBay).

;Nintendo Entertainment System Controller
:Sold only for users of the NES NSO app. It is based on the original NES controller but behaves like a JoyCon and is always sold in a pair. Can only be charged through the JoyCon rails. Serial numbers: HAC-033 (left, player 1) and HAC-034 (right, player 2);
;Family Computer Controller
:Sold only in Japan. It is based on the original Famicom controllers and like the NES version, it behaves like a JoyCon and is sold in a pair. The second controller (right JoyCon) also supports the Mic input used on several games (''Atlantis no Nazo''). Serial numbers: HAC-035 (left, player I) and HAC-036 (right, player II);
;Super Nintendo Entertainment System Controller / Super Famicom Controller
:Based on the original SNES controllers. All regional variants behave the same. Serial number: HAC-042;
;Nintendo 64 Controller
:Modeled after the original Nintendo 64 controller. All regional variants behave the same. Unlike the original, it comes with a built-in Rumble function for games that had support for Rumble Pak. Serial number: HAC‐043;
;SEGA Genesis Control Pad / SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad
:Sold only for users of the Genesis / Mega Drive NSO app. The design is based on the original Control Pad for Genesis / Mega Drive with 3-button support. Serial number: HAC‐045;
;SEGA Mega Drive Fighting Pad 6B
:Sold only for users of the Mega Drive NSO app in Japan. Its design is based on the Fighting Pad 6B (known as 6 Button Control Pad), although it is based on the original design sold for Japan and Asian countries, which is optimized for smaller hands. Serial number: HAC‐046.

==Game Injection==
Currently, this method is only viable for users who have custom firmware installed on their systems (it is unknown if this method works on Switch emulators).

* [http://darkakuma.z-net.us/p/cave-database-manager.html CaVE Database Manager]: A tool that allows the user to create additional entries from external ROMs stored in the microSD card. It is not recommended to use pre-made packs that cover a whole romset due to the high chance of the app itself crashing (loading too many custom entries at once) and the possibility of duplicated entries through emulator updates (e.g.: Internal entry from the app conflicting with a user-made entry).

==Emulation of the service==
{{Main|Nintendo Switch emulators#Hardware features and peripherals}}
There was a service called [https://web.archive.org/web/20201103044650/https://raptor.network/ Raptor Network], [https://web.archive.org/web/20201103042150/https://yuzu-emu.org/entry/yuzu-x-raptor/ yuzu emulator once offered beta support] for Raptor Network. However, [https://web.archive.org/web/20240304181556/https://yuzu-emu.org/entry/yuzu-x-raptor/ this feature was later removed].

Currently, there is no [[Preservation_projects#Private_Platform_Servers|preservation project for emulating Nintendo Switch Online private platform server service]], or any kind of implementation on the emulator side to connect official servers. Having said that, [[#List_of_emulators|emulators of the Nintendo Switch Online service]] supported by Ryujinx, suyu and yuzu emulators.

==See also==
;Related articles
*[[Official emulators]]
*[[Preservation projects]]
;Online play on older Nintendo consoles
*[[Early Online Services]] (Includes services by Nintendo & for Nintendo products)
*[[Nintendo Network]] (Wii U & 3DS)
*[[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] (DS, DSi & Wii)
*[[Netplay#Nintendo_Consoles|Netplay on Nintendo consoles]] (Netplay inside emulators for Nintendo's consoles, this shouldn't be confused with [[:Category:Online_Services|Online Services]] though)

[[Category:Official emulators]]
[[Category:Online Services|*]]
[[Category:Nintendo Online Services]]