The Nintendo Switch is set to release in just two weeks' time! A new update reveals that it will be capable of offline LAN connectivity and may even have GameCube titles available soon.
LAN Connectivity. The Switch wants to encourage local multiplayer gaming. Its Joy-Con controllers allow two players to play a game together for split screen on a single device. Additionally, "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is confirmed to support up to eight consoles to connect via Wi-Fi for local multiplayer.
The Verge reported that the Japanese gaming company subtly announced in its Splatoon 2 preview that the console is capable of LAN connectivity. This feature will allow up to 10 docked consoles to connect to one another over Ethernet like a real LAN party! This feature will not come automatic. A USB-to-Ethernet adapter is needed.
Older Nintendo consoles did have a multiplayer feature over Ethernet but it was still dependent on the company's online servers. Slow internet connection or server problems could result in no gameplay even if it was on a local network. The Switch will be the Japanese company's first console since the GameCube to offer true LAN play.
Currently, only Splatoon 2 is the only video game title to have announced support for this feature. It will have up to eight local combatants and two spectators that can all connect.
GameCube Titles Coming to the Switch? Polygon reported that in a recent interview with French publication Melty, the Japanese gaming company dropped a big hint to its possibility. When asked about the possibility of GameCube titles for the Nintendo Switch, Deputy General Manager Yoshiaki Koizumi responded that the company was developing something along those lines.
Koizumi further elaborated that they cannot confirm anything at this time. However, he did respond with: "What I can tell you is that we are working on things that go in that direction."
He did not give any more details as to what these "things" are, but the connection is clear, according to the website. Nintendo General Manager, Shinya Takahashi, discussed the possibility even more. He said that if it did happen, they would come in the form of controller attachments. Takahashi explained that if they ever made GameCube-style Joy-Con peripherals, it would definitely include analog triggers.
GameCube controllers have analog triggers because they were pressure-sensitive. Subsequent consoles such as the Wii U and the Switch no longer have this. The analog triggers were one of the highlights of the previous console that made it and its controllers so popular.
The Nintendo Switch will officially release on March 3. Everyone's excited about it, and the new LAN features and the possibility of GameCube titles make it all the more attractive. What do you think? Share your thoughts and comments below.
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