Minecraft & Nintendo Switch Online - Unofficial FAQ
Nintendo Switch Online launches later today. A Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to continuing crafting with friends in online and cross-platform multiplayer worlds, Realms, and servers.
What is Nintendo Switch Online?
Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s new, paid online service. It offers online multiplayer capabilities for certain game titles, save data cloud backups, a library of NES games, and other features.
Which Minecraft editions will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership?
A Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to access online multiplayer features in Minecraft (Bedrock) for Nintendo Switch and Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition.[1],[2]
Which Minecraft features will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership?
A Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to access the following online multiplayer features in Minecraft (Bedrock) for Nintendo Switch:
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Online multiplayer worlds with Nintendo Switch friends
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Online multiplayer worlds with cross-platform friends
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Realms
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Servers
A Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required to access the following online multiplayer features in Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition:
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Online multiplayer worlds with Nintendo Switch friends
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Online mini games (Battle, Tumble, Glide)
Will Nintendo Switch players be able to join external servers or Bedrock Dedicated Servers?
No. Server access on Nintendo Switch is limited to the partner servers due to console platform restrictions.
Is a Nintendo Switch Online membership required for local split-screen multiplayer?
No. If you receive a message incorrectly stating you need a Nintendo Switch Online membership when playing local split-screen multiplayer, temporarily disable the Multiplayer Game toggle in World Settings (pencil icon) → Multiplayer. This issue will be resolved in a future update.[3],[4]
Is an Xbox Live Gold subscription required for online multiplayer features on Nintendo Switch?
No. Only a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for online multiplayer features.
A free Microsoft Account is recommended to access additional features in Minecraft (Bedrock) for Nintendo Switch.
When does Nintendo Switch Online launch?
Nintendo Switch Online will launch worldwide following the release of Nintendo Switch system version 6.0.0 and eShop maintenance.[5]
Tuesday, 18 September 2018
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8:00 PM PDT (UTC–7)
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11:00 PM EDT (UTC–4)
Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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03:00 GMT (UTC+0)
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04:00 BST (UTC+1)
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12:00 JST (UTC+9)
Where can I learn more about Nintendo Switch Online?
You can learn more about the Nintendo Switch Online service at nintendo.com/switch/online-service/.
A comprehensive FAQ is also available at en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22521/p/897.
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Q&A
How about LAN games?
Playing with nearby Nintendo Switch consoles in local network mode will not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
How about with any other device running Bedrock?
Nintendo Switch can only cross-play with other devices in Online Network Mode. Cross-play will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
And cross-play is only available when you got a Microsoft account because it uses Xbox Live services to enable cross-play.
The question many will be asking is: does this enable Switch players to join any and all user-operated Bedrock Dedicated Servers?
Good one! Added.
They will not like the answer, though!
I just had a problem while trying to connect with my nephews. They were hosting the game and playing split-screen. But when they tried to go online, they got an error saying that they needed multiple NSO accounts. We tried to set up a family account for them, but we couldn't get it to work. How does multiplayer split-screen work with NSO? Does each user need his or her own account?
Each player needs to have a Nintendo Online membership or be part of a family membership to play in online multiplayer sessions, this includes online split-screen.
Local (offline) split-screen does not require a Nintendo Online membership.
Thanks for the reply! We'll give it a try.
Can I play LAN cross-platform between Switch and PE without a Nintendo Switch Online membership?
No. Cross-play is only via online, so you will need a Switch Online membership. Switch does not have true LAN play—it has its own “local network mode” that creates an ad hoc network with other nearby Switches only.
Edit: IGNORE THIS COMMENT. Looking again at the Nintendo site, neither the Bedrock version and the Legacy Console version on the Switch is not compatible with Cloud Backups!
Neat addition to the post would be stating that cloud backups, as far as we are aware of, are compatible with Minecraft. AKA, backups can be made or are automatically made (depending on your settings) from your Minecraft save file which includes worlds.
https://twitter.com/Chupacaubrey/status/1042095209578782720
Most of these seem self-explanatory. Just like any other game you have to have Nintendo switch online to play online
Yeah kind of self-explanatory. Except where you need a Nintendo Switch Online account to join a non-Switch *local* LAN game. Nintendo want ongoing $$$$ contributions for that (Android, Apple, Microsoft include that as part of the original purchase).
How exactly do you connect a switch to another switch without using the internet?
Any ETA on cloud save backups? I find it puzzling that we pay for a service and it isn't even supported. I'm not naive and expect every game to work right out of the gates, but I thought that cloud saves would give me peace of mind if I lose my switch. Losing all my switch Minecraft data would be devastating and it is impossible to avoid. I guess my switch will remain inside the dock in the safety of my home until then.