In terms of non-gaming entertainment functionality, the Switch doesn’t have much going for it, especially compared to Xbox and PlayStation consoles. The only streaming apps you can get off the eShop are YouTube and, for some reason, Hulu. Still no Netflix, despite it being a regular request for multiple years now. While streaming television is still a young concept on the Switch, though, it has gotten at least one more avenue of entertainment: live streaming. As of today, Twitched has launched on the Nintendo eShop and Switch.
With apparently no fanfare whatsoever, a Twitch viewing app has appeared on the Switch eShop, which was quickly picked up and circulated by eagle-eyed Twitter users. The official eShop description for the Twitch app reads:
Watch livestream gaming videos, Esports and any IRL broadcast on your Nintendo Switch device!
Sports are here. Tune into your favorites: basketball, baseball, soccer, football, swimming, wrestling, hockey, pool, and much more through talk shows, league channels, Fantasy, and ESports.
The description also notes that the app utilizes Nielson measurement software for the purpose of market research, not unlike the Nielsen Ratings on a television, which is… certainly a thing.
Twitch launches on Nintendo eShop and Switch
According to users who have tinkered with the app, you can watch both live streams and archives in full quality, though some have reported some occasionally wonky auto-adjustment. You cannot, however, view or use live chat, nor can you stream games directly from your own Switch. You can link your phone to your Switch to use live chat there, though.
On the plus side, the Twitch app does work in both docked and handheld modes, so as long as you’ve got an internet connection, you can watch it on the go with your Switch in handheld mode. Xbox and Sony consoles have had Twitch apps for a while now (and Netflix), but give the Switch this, you can’t lug a PlayStation around with you. Not without a bunch of extension cords, anyway.
