At the time of writing, there’s no longer the possibility of linking your Nintendo Switch to your Twitter/X account. This is a feature that was removed by Nintendo recently and officially went live on 10 June 2024.
This may come as a shocker to many players who have the habit of posting screenshots from their games (such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) on social media and usually enjoy the Twitter integration as part of their experience.
Why Did Nintendo Switch Let Go of This Integration?
As part of the Nintendo version 18.1.0 update, the company introduced several bug fixes and quality-of-life updates to enrich the Nintendo Switch experience. However, out of all the minor updates to the experience, removing the Twitter integration has to be one of the larger decisions.
This news was made more visible by user Wario64 on Twitter. At this point, it looks like the update has removed major features rather than adding things that improve the experience of having a Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo Switch 18.1.0 FW update notes:
— Wario64 (@Wario64) June 11, 2024
-Removal of X/Twitter integration
-Option to link social media accounts from My Page/Friends Suggestion removed
-STABILITY https://t.co/fJiUb4MxgT pic.twitter.com/fBKhAjYjes
On its official webpage, it’s also described how Nintendo Switch users can no longer use Twitter as part of their gameplay in the context of sharing media on the infamous platform:
The option to “Post to Twitter” when sharing from the Album in the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu was removed.
While Nintendo hasn’t explicitly made it official why it has let go of this future, the obvious reason may be the huge monthly fee introduced by X. According to the social media platform, enterprise customers need to pay $42,000 to let the platform be an official integration with the device.
This makes the Nintendo Switch the final console in the big trio to do this, making it further difficult for players to find a new social media platform to rely on.
All Major Consoles Have Abandoned Twitter
The huge fee can be one of the reasons why PlayStation and Xbox have also removed the integration. While this happened last year for other consoles, Nintendo Switch has now officially made it to the “No Twitter Club”.
The important question remains: How does this affect the future of these platforms? For starters, removing the ability to share gameplay content directly from the console may be a problematic thing for users who are used to having Twitter as their go-to platform for this purpose. Even though these consoles have their own digital libraries for this.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t help content creators or the overall Nintendo Switch player experience, since Twitter is still one of the largest social media platforms with close to 360 million+ monthly users. So, if you’re someone who enjoys using the Nintendo Switch in a more social context, it may be time to start looking for an alternative that serves as a social/ digital outlet for your gameplay experience.
What are your thoughts on the removal of Twitter’s integration on the Nintendo Switch? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
