What you need to know
- Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service that offers online play capabilities and access to retro games.
- Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games are coming to the service later this month.
- Nintendo confirms 60 Hz speed for European games, compared to the previous 50 Hz.
After Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis got announced as being part of the upcoming content of Nintendo Switch Online in the most recent September 2021 Nintendo Direct, European fans seemed concerned that the Nintendo 64 games available in the PAL region would run at 50 Hz. Nintendo has, much to the delight of fans in Europe, announced in a tweet that Nintendo 64 games will run in 60 Hz in Europe, giving players a much faster experience.
All Nintendo 64 games included with #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack can be played in 60Hz English language versions. Select games will also have the option to play the original European PAL version with language options. pic.twitter.com/nZeO4WQaPNAll Nintendo 64 games included with #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack can be played in 60Hz English language versions. Select games will also have the option to play the original European PAL version with language options. pic.twitter.com/nZeO4WQaPN— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) October 11, 2021October 11, 2021
For context, European games which ran at 50 Hz were slower and letterboxed due to the region's electric outlets running at 220-240 VAC. In comparison, North American electric outlets run at 110 Volts, which means that their gaming consoles could run games at 60 Hz. While this has since rectified itself over the years, Nintendo tends to want an extremely "authentic" experience with their retro titles, even if it means ignoring quality-of-life improvements.
Fans are pleased that players around the world can have the best experience. No release date has been announced for the upgraded service outside of "late October", but we'll be sure to update you once new information arises.
A new and improved Nintendo Switch
The newest member of the Nintendo Switch family is the OLED model, which incorporates new and improved features to the system including a larger OLED display, a more stable kickstand for tabletop play, a LAN port, and an upgraded 64GB of internal storage. It's the classic Nintendo Switch, but better.
