The Nintendo Switch might have been a bit late to the console party, but the late start doesn’t seem to have affected the console’s sales at all. At the moment, the Nintendo Switch is the fifth best-selling console of all time with a little over 103 million units sold. Although Nintendo has done a mighty fine job making the Switch a compelling choice for gamers, one key area that the handheld gaming device lacks in is the home entertainment department.
Consider this: mainstream apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, are not available for the Nintendo Switch. However, fans are hoping that things are changing soon with Crunchyroll’s arrival.
Ideally, home entertainment would have been the Switch’s key strength. As a portable console, it should have come with more streaming apps for entertainment on the go. Instead, the Switch has only had YouTube and Hulu for a long time. Even if Nintendo hasn’t announced that more are coming, Crunchyroll is a good start.
Crunchyroll might not be as “mainstream” as other bigger streaming platforms, but this anime-oriented service caters to 100 million registered users around the globe with over 5 million paid subscribers. Not to mention, it’s the perfect service for Switch owners that likely grew up watching anime anyway. The overlap between Switch owners and Crunchyroll subscribers is real. And, while it’s easy to get hung up on how long it took for Nintendo to bring the app to the console, anime fans should focus on the positives.
Ultimately, we’re hoping that Nintendo has plans to bring more video-on-demand streaming services to the Switch. On the other hand, we understand if Nintendo wants to steer clear of others like Netflix. After all, Nintendo has maintained its family-friendly branding for several decades. Adding streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which aren’t exactly known for their entirely child-friendly content, doesn’t align with the Nintendo brand. Then again, neither does Hulu, which will reportedly be the home of Netflix’s Marvel shows like the Punisher once they leave Netflix at the end of the month.
In other news, more and more third-party titles are headed to the Switch by the end of 2022. After its first Direct showcase this year, Nintendo revealed that Portal and No Man’s Sky are making their way to their hybrid console. There are also rumors that Batman Arkham Collection will be available on the Switch as well, but Nintendo hasn’t confirmed if this is true.
