PC News

The Nintendo Switch 2 has game sharing and a camera — sound familiar?

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The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 offers a game-sharing feature that allows you to share your games with as many as four friends or family members, regardless of whether they own the game themselves. This feature works across the original Switch, Switch Lite, and the new Switch 2 consoles simultaneously.

While this consumer-friendly feature is nearly commendable, it somewhat offsets the steep price tag of the handheld device, which is expected to retail at $449, and game prices set at $80. This pricing strategy seems to be paving the way for potential future increases in game prices.

Interestingly, back in 2013, when Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, they had initially planned to introduce a feature called ‘Family Sharing’. This would have allowed users to share their library with up to ten designated family members without needing physical discs. Unfortunately, this initiative was met with criticism due to its simultaneous announcement of the controversial ‘always-online’ DRM policy, which many perceived as an attack on the used game market.

It appears that Microsoft, like Nintendo today, was visionary but perhaps ahead of its time, trying to push the industry in a direction it wasn’t quite ready for. However, given the positive response to Nintendo’s announcement, the audience is now more accepting and open to innovations like this. So Xbox, it’s high time you delivered on the Friends and Family pass!