Nintendo Switch Releases eShop Video
By Rory Young 01 March 2017
Nintendo released a new video today showcasing the “News” and “eShop” subsections of Nintendo Switch‘s Home Menu. With the Nintendo Switch console just a few days away from arriving in homes, the Big N’s taking the opportunity to show off some of the more specific details of the platform. There area also some details regarding the Switch’s account system and how Nintendo Network IDs from the Wii U or 3DS can be merged into the new Account system.
Nintendo Switch News will display on-screen immediately after the console is turned on, or awakened from sleep mode. The video shows three different news stories along the left side of the screen. Two of them are advertisements for recently released Switch games, and the third is a Nintendo video showing Bowser playing with a Joy-Con. A News button is also available on Switch’s Home Menu, which leads to a full-screen listing of recent news, including tutorials, videos, and likely advertisements as well.
The trailer segues into the eShop by noting that sales and promotion stories will often have a link at the bottom leading to the related product’s purchase page. The eShop will serve, much like it did on the Wii U and 3DS, as the location to browse, buy, and also download Switch games.
The Nintendo Switch’s user interface has long been a mystery, but it should be surprising that Nintendo’s only now releasing video looks at the platform after the press has had access to review units for some time. The embargo for press reviews ended earlier today, but even those leave a gap in consumer awareness. Specifically, reviewers did not have access to the Nintendo eShop on the Switch. This video is the first look that everybody will have at the eShop, with the Switch’s launch just two days away.
On the other hand, Nintendo doesn’t really have anything else to show regarding the Nintendo Switch’s UI. Beyond the News and eShop sections, there’s really only a settings button, a Joy-Con settings button, power, and a place for sharing images. Beyond that, there’s a sliding menu for choosing what installed game to play and assorted notifications. It’s a very clean and bare bones UI.
The Nintendo Switch launches on March 3, 2017.
