Nintendo Switch won't support your internet browsing at launch
It's possible Nintendo could add it as a later upgrade.
If you were planning to use your Nintendo Switch to surf the web when it comes out March 3, you're out of luck.
The Switch won't have an internet browser upon launch, Nintendo's president, Tatsumi Kimishima, revealed in an interview with Time this week.
"In terms of the internet browser, since all of our efforts have gone toward making Switch an amazing dedicated video game platform, it will not support it, at least at launch," Kimishima said.
The Nintendo Switch can be played on the go, and docked into a TV (as seen above).
Nintendo's daring mobile/home console hybrid needs all the help it can get. It's pricey by most standards -- $300, £280 or AU$470 -- and will only launch about 10 games (here's what's been announced so far at launch and beyond). So omitting the browser may not endear on-the-fence buyers, especially those who find they do use the internet on their Wii U or 3DS systems.
Even though both those consoles integrate browsers, it isn't much of a staple for either gaming system. Nintendo has admitted it was challenging to create the Wii U's browser; the company may have decided that in order to meet its deadline, a browser wouldn't make the cut.
Still, Nintendo's Kimishima leaves the possibility open that a browser could come later as some sort of update.
Here's what else we learned in the Time interview:
- Fire Emblem Heroes has already brought in $5 million in revenue since its release on February 2
- The game surpassed one million downloads in the hours after its release
- Nintendo is looking into virtual reality (We'd love to see Mario take on the VR world!)
The Switch is coming to a store near you next month. Check out CNET's guide on preordering the Switch here.
Nintendo did not immediately reply to a request for comment.