Nintendo Finally Puts Its Own Store in Your Pocket

After a long-awaited launch, Nintendo has finally rolled out its official Store app to players in many places, something that fans in Japan have had since 2019. This new version is now open to the U.S., U.K., Canada, and most of Europe. The app is designed to make Nintendo shopping easier on phones and tablets, giving users a direct link to all things Nintendo without having to go through browser tabs. It may have been a little late for Nintendo to do this, but we’ll just have to see how popular it is!

It acts as a hub for Switch and Switch 2 consoles, accessories, and both physical and digital games. While you still have to finish purchases through a browser due to some different App Store rules and other things, it does still have an experience that is smoother than before. Players can view their game history, seeing what they’ve played and for how long, including older systems like the 3DS and Wii U, through data stops after 2020. It is a small but fun look at how many times fans have spent in their favorite worlds. I wonder if fans will use it more for browsing or for nostalgia.

Image: Nintendo

The app also has push alerts, sale notifications, and rewards check-ins for official Nintendo stores and events. It is a part of Nintendo’s bigger plan to build a mobile home for fans, joining other apps like Nintendo Music and Nintendo Today. This could be Nintendo’s way of preparing players for a more connected, digital future around the upcoming Switch 2 generation. This app is probably also meant to help with sales, because when you have an app on your home screen, you will probably open it more than a website.

What do you think of Nintendo finally launching its store app outside of Japan? Would you rather buy games directly through the app instead of the console? Do you think this could be a hint that Nintendo wants to bring more of its ecosystem to mobile? Let us know in the comments!

Source: The Verge Images: Nintendo