Nintendo is hiring engineers for Switch Online, hinting that the service could make the jump to Switch 2

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Could Nintendo's online subscription move seamlessly to the Switch 2?

Red and blue Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons in controller shell
(Image credit: Enrique Vidal Flores on Unsplash)

Nintendo is currently hiring for several roles related to its Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, strongly hinting that the service may be carrying over to the Switch's successor.

As reported by Nintendo Life, X / Twitter user 'Stealth' spotted that Nintendo is hiring a front-end engineer, back-end engineer, and a director/planner, all related to Nintendo Switch Online. In a follow-up post, they add that the company "added 400+ employees to their headcount last year," and that: "They are currently the biggest they've ever been as a company."

As other users on social media have pointed out, if Nintendo is specifically hiring for the Switch Online service, it strongly indicates that it'll carry over to the (tentatively named) Nintendo Switch 2.

This bodes well for a number of reasons. It could mean that the existing cloud-based retro game libraries will remain intact. Furthermore, NSO's Expansion Pack tier's features could carry over, too. 

That would mean players still have access to DLC packs like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass and Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion, which further hints at backwards compatibility with existing Nintendo Switch titles. Of course, this should all be taken with a pinch of salt as Nintendo hasn't straight-up confirmed anything, but it's promising news overall.

As it stands, Nintendo has had a controversial history when it comes to online services, and the restarting of them. Back in the day, the Nintendo Wii offered free online play and robust a robust Virtual Console library with games that could be downloaded and played natively. This diminished slightly on Wii U, and was gone entirely on Nintendo Switch until the arrival of Switch Online.

Even now, Switch Online pales in comparison to the vast Virtual Console library, and having games locked to a dedicated online service is undoubtedly a downgrade for many. Still, at least with its next console, it seems likely that Nintendo won't be wiping the slate clean once again.

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Rhys Wood
Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.