Nintendo Switch finally gets a streaming service in the UK

News
By Rhys Wood
published

But it isn't Netflix

Attack on Titan
(Image credit: Netflix)

Nintendo Switch users in the UK will now be able to download a new streaming app on their console, but it isn’t the one most of us have been clamoring for.

Instead, it’s Funimation, an anime streaming app similar to Crunchyroll. The app features a new interface designed for ease of use in the Nintendo Switch’s docked and portable modes.

UK users can opt into a 14-day free trial, but can subscribe to Funimation Premium Plus for £4.99 a month which includes ad-free streaming, access to subbed and dubbed anime, five simultaneous streams and support for downloading episodes for offline viewing on iOS and Android devices. 

The downloads feature won’t be available on the Nintendo Switch, but your subscription will still allow you to watch anime on the device.

This should be welcome news for anime fans especially, as Funimation hosts both popular shows like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia and Mob Psycho 100, as well as revered fan favorite series like Angel Beats, Bungo Stray Dogs and Yu Yu Hakusho. 

No Netflix, just anime

The Nintendo Switch still frustratingly lacks a Netflix app, a strange omission considering the streaming giant is available on both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. The Switch does offer support for YouTube worldwide and Hulu in the US, but even with the addition of Funimation in the UK, the Switch’s app library still leaves much to be desired.

Still, we won’t downplay the addition of Funimation to the Nintendo Switch. The Switch’s portability makes it perfect for streaming platforms of any kind, which is why it’s so surprising that the console still lacks big names like Netflix and Crunchyroll.

However, Sony now owns both Crunchyroll and Funimation, and while you might think that would dissuade the company from featuring apps on competing hardware, that obviously hasn’t been the case for Funimation. Hopefully, this could mean that the Switch will also see support for Crunchyroll soon, but we’ll just have to wait and see on that front.

The Funimation app is available to download now on the Nintendo Switch eShop, so long as you're living in the UK or Ireland.

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.