The Nintendo Switch REALLY needs the Netflix app!

I want to binge-watch a television series while in bed and the screen five inches from my face. Oh, and on my Nintendo Switch!

The Nintendo Switch is almost three years old. The portable console that took the world by storm launched on March 3, 2017.

Within those three years, the Nintendo Switch has garnered a massive library of games and 2020 will add even more. Fans of the console and company have gotten exceptional games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Nintendo has cranked out the first-party titles, and the majority of them have been great. The company has also opened up to third-party titles, which is unlike any other Nintendo console. Games such as Cuphead, Overwatch, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have made their way to the console.

The Switch’s Appsence

All of this support for the console is awesome to see, but the Switch is severely lacking in another department: applications. There are only two apps Switch users can download and use: Hulu and YouTube.

Now, I love YouTube. I am on the platform daily to go on my daily YouTube rabbit hole, but there is another place I enjoy watching videos. No, it isn’t Hulu. I get enough advertisements from YouTube, so I turn to Netflix for my primary source of television entertainment.

The Netflix app is everywhere other than the Nintendo Switch, which absolutely baffles me. Netflix is on other consoles, smart TVs, cable boxes, Blu-ray players, tablets, phones, and even in Tesla vehicles! Why has the streaming giant not made the leap to the portable console?

Well, the Nintendo company was not looking for video applications before the launch fo the console. Mobile Syrup reported about a year after the Switch’s launch why Netflix had not released the app on the platform yet.

Netflix executive Scott Mirer, Netflix VP of device partner ecosystem, had the following to say:

"“In the case of the Switch, they [Nintendo] were very focused at launch not on video-use cases, but on gaming cases, video was not a priority for them. Whether that changes over time, we have a great relationship with them and look at the possibility of [supporting] the Switch. We each have opportunity cost around that, but at some point, it might happen.”"

The “it might happen” seems pretty grim at this point. So, you may be wondering why I crave the Netflix app on my Switch. Well, there is a laundry list of reasons.

Comfortable and Convenient

More from Nintendo

I am sure there are a majority of Switch owners who do not care about the absence of Netflix and other apps on the platform. However, I am also sure there is a group of people who wished there were more. Modern consoles have moved away from being just places to play games and are becoming entertainment platforms for all types.

Of course, Nintendo has never followed trends. Instead, the company continuously creates them.

Nevertheless, a Netflix app would only improve the use of the console. For me, I play my Switch before bed, and I don’t have a television in my bedroom. I often find myself playing a game before then, but other times I wish I could watch a few episodes of some Netflix original. My bed is comfortable, and it would be convenient if I didn’t have to get up to watch Netflix. I know that sounds lazy, but we’ve all been there.

You could say, “Bryson, just use your phone.” I could use my phone, but again, the Switch is more convenient. I am already using it to play games. Once I am done, I can back out of the game and hop right into streaming. My phone also has a lot of distractions with notifications and text messages. I want to stay focused as much as possible.

Plus, I can save my phone’s battery for more essential duties. I would do the same thing if I were on a plane or waiting for an appointment. I would use my Switch to watch the show rather than my phone. If I don’t have a powered Switch, then I am fine. If my phone is dead, then people won’t be able to reach me. For these reasons, the Netflix app would be very beneficial and exciting to have on the Switch.

A Missing Netflix-Shaped Piece

I know wanting Netflix on my Switch is a petty thing to rant about, but I truly think many would benefit from the addition. The day YouTube hit the platform, I was ecstatic. I could easily access my favorite shows and sketches on the portable console. Furthermore, some people may only have their Switch to watch Netflix on a television. They could easily take advantage of this new addition.

Next. Nintendo Switch: 6 exclusives to look forward to in 2020. dark

Of course, I am not the only one when I say Netflix should come to the console. I am sure there are many others in the Switch community who long for another application to land on the platform. If you are hoping for Netflix on the Switch or another application, then sound off in the comments. I would love to hear what other important apps should make it to the Nintendo Switch.

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