Nintendo Switch Gets Its First Video Streaming App

The Nintendo Switch gets its first video streaming app in Niconico. It's an extremely popular live streaming platform in Japan. At the moment, Nintendo Switch owners with Japanese accounts can download it. Since the Nintendo Switch is region-free, and the company allows users to use multiple accounts from different countries on the console, anyone with a Nintendo Switch can check it out right now.

Much like YouTube, Niconico users can upload, view, and share videos. Comments on a Niconico video show up on the video itself. This lets commenters respond immediately to the events unfolding onscreen, giving the illusion of a communal watching experience. Uploaders can annotate videos, add special effects, and even quizzes via special commands known as Nicoscript.

At the moment the Niconico app is completely in Japanese and requires a Niconico account to view videos. Firing up the app for the first time explains that your Nintendo Network ID, date of birth, email address, and profile details will be shared with Niconico.

Given the Nintendo Switch's promising debut, it was inevitable that non-gaming apps would follow. With Niconico being the first, we won't be surprised to see the likes of YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, and Hulu gauging the response before launching their own apps for Nintendo's latest console.

What apps would you like to see on the Nintendo Switch? Let us know in the comments.