For some inexplicable reason, the Nintendo Switch still doesn't have its very own Netflix app. This despite the console being perhaps the hottest thing in the gaming world currently, and despite overwhelming clamor over its hybrid functionalities.
Because the Switch offers both traditional home console and handheld play, it seems like it would be the perfect media player. Imagine: it could be great for watching movies during the weekend — just pop it in its dock and get the popcorn ready — or catching up on the latest crime drama during long commutes.
Why Netflix Isn't On The Nintendo Switch
But only Hulu is available on the console, and many fans are scratching their heads as to why Netflix, perhaps the most popular video streaming service in the world, still isn't. Now a year old and counting, the Switch has been a stellar gaming device thus far, but a few services are still missing in the platform's offerings. Of course, Netflix is included in that list. Why?
Well, according to an interview with Netflix VP of device partnerships Scott Mirer, video has not been a priority for Nintendo during the console's first year. As Mobile Syrup reports, Mirer said Nintendo was focused on gaming for its launch year. However, he hinted that this attitude might change moving forward.
"Whether that changes over time, we have a great relationship with them and look at the possibility of the Switch. We each have opportunity cost around that, but at some point, it might happen," he said.
Porting Netflix Shouldn't Be Too Hard
Mirer's remarks follow a tweet in January from the official Netflix account confirming that the streaming company was exploring opportunities with Nintendo. On one hand, it's easy to imagine that creating a Netflix app for the Switch isn't too difficult. For one, the machine itself is reportedly very easy to work with, and Netflix is on just about every platform imaginable already — TVs, phones, tablets, gaming consoles. Even the 3DS has it.
But on the other hand, it's understandable that Nintendo is focusing for now on what makes the Switch actually great: excellent games. There has been a spate of award-winning titles for the console, a few examples being Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, and many others.
Even still, the Switch has already proven to be a sales hit, so perhaps Nintendo could allot a little bit of time to integrate Netflix into its platform.
