Twitch Streaming App Arrives On The Nintendo eShop

Streamer Lingo is Now One Step Closer to Omnipresence, Poggers

There’s been a growing trend of game consoles looking to branch out of being seen as a strict gaming-only device. It debatably started all the way back in the PS3 days with its ability to play Blu-Ray DVDs, but Sony was far from the only company to take this direction. And while the tactic hasn’t exactly changed changed consoles as we know them, it’s certainly cropped up from time to time. Now, Nintendo takes another step in a more universal direction, adding the livestreaming platform Twitch to its eShop library.

Clocking in at just 31MB and a price tag of “free”, the Twitch app lets Switch users view livestreams of all sorts, from gaming to commentary and even “Animal Streams“. Some features are disabled, relative to the desktop version – you can’t use or see the chat and view the stream at the same time (though most streams have the chat on-screen anyway, so you can still absorb the energy of a good ol’-fashion emote spam), and disappointingly, there’s no way to stream a game directly from the Switch. According to NintendoLife, stream quality seems decent, though not without the occasional hiccup. Other than that, the app presents with a selection of browse features not unlike that of the main experience.

The Switch’s streaming options are still pretty limited, between Hulu and Youtube, and no Netflix option in sight. But given the prominence of Twitch, especially in the gaming world, this is a pretty big step. While the app’s limitations mean that this probably won’t overturn the console industry anytime soon, it will undoubtedly be appreciated by a select few people.

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