The Nintendo Switch Virtual Console Dream Is Officially Dead

The writing has been on the wall, but today Nintendo finally confirmed what Switch fans never wanted to hear: the console maker and game developer has no plans to bring its Virtual Console to the Switch.

Speaking to Kotaku via email, a Nintendo spokesperson announced that "there are currently no plans to bring classic games together under the Virtual Console banner as has been done on other Nintendo systems."

The news lands hours after Nintendo unveiled detailed plans and a September launch window for its Switch Online Service, which includes 20 classic NES games enhanced with online functionality, cloud game saves and online multiplayer support.

To say this is a bitter disappointment is putting it mildly. Nintendo's Virtual Console service -- available for 3DS, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo Wii U -- acted as an affordable way to amass a huge selection of retro games not just from classic Nintendo consoles and handhelds like GameBoy and Super NES, but also systems like Neo Geo, TurboGrafx-16 and Sega Master System.

For Switch owners, the Virtual Console dream is dead

Though I never believed previous purchases could transfer over to a theoretical Virtual Console service on the Switch, I was optimistic that Nintendo would seize the opportunity to bring a deeper library of older games -- including GameCube titles -- to the Switch, especially given its graphics horsepower and portability.

But the dream is dead, folks. And there have been signs. The constant flow of Neo Geo arcade ports, SEGA's plans for an ever-evolving lineup of their own classics (including Saturn and Dreamcast games), Nintendo's own remasters and NES-era collection being added to their Online Service subscription plan. Not to mention console "re-releases" like the SNES Classic Edition.

The Nintendo spokesperson offered further comments to Kotaku, which indicate to me that the company is doubling down on offering its enhanced first-party NES (and hopefully SNES?) classics via the Nintendo Switch Online Service. Certainly Nintendo won't completely ignore its insanely deep catalogue of hits, but I think they'll be few and far between. And I don't want those titles to disappear if I stop paying a subscription fee.

Beyond that, it looks like we'll need to rely on various 3rd-party publishers to deliver the stream of retro goodness we were hoping for.

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