Twitch Prime and Nintendo are partnering up to offer Twitch Prime members up to a full year of Nintendo Switch Online’s services, including access to the platform’s collection of classic NES games with added online play. Twitch Prime has been aggressively expanding its offerings over the past year, adding a focus on its lineup of free game offerings alongside skins and other add-ons for popular multiplayer titles.
Starting yesterday, Twitch Prime members can now claim three months of Nintendo Switch Online by visiting this link. After 60 days, members can go back to the link and claim another nine months of Nintendo Switch Online, which amounts to the full year being advertised by the partnership. Twitch Prime members have until September 24, 2019 to claim their three months, and January 22, 2020 to claim the additional nine that will extend the service. The only catch is that interested parties will need to link a credit card or PayPal information to their Nintendo account to access the service through the partnership. Screen Rant confirmed this through Nintendo PR, who released this statement:
It’s nothing out of the ordinary for deals that offer free access to subscriptions, as having payment information saved to an account means it’s easier for consumers to resub should they be on the fence about continuing their time with the service past the free trial period. Those Prime members with a Nintendo Switch Online account won’t be left out of the offer, as they’ll be able to claim an additional twelve months onto whatever time they already had remaining on their subscription.
“You’ll be required to link your Twitch and Nintendo accounts. After that, for users age 18+ in certain countries, register a credit card or link a PayPal account on the Nintendo website. Finally, you’ll be able to redeem your Nintendo Switch Online membership on your Nintendo Switch.”
On the surface, this move makes a lot of sense. Nintendo has often struggled to attract people to its online services after ignoring them for so long, only developing a serviceable platform over the last few years thanks to the Nintendo Switch. For Twitch Prime, it’s just another addition to an already long list of incentives for people to consider the subscription service. Honestly, Nintendo Switch Online isn’t a big get for something already as alluring as Twitch Prime, but for Nintendo, the partnership could mean the world as the company continues to try to develop its online presence.
More: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Appearance On Twitch Is Even Bigger Than You Think