Following a wave of rumors, Nintendo confirmed on Thursday that its Nintendo Switch console has added an official YouTube app to its meager selection of media-viewing options.
Google’s app is now available as a free download on a variety of territories’ eShops (including North America and Japan, which we’ve tested thus far), and its interface largely resembles dedicated YouTube apps on smart TVs and set-top boxes.
The app, in our limited testing, held up to visual scrutiny in terms of delivering a clear image and a 60fps refresh when replaying high-detail content like “let’s play” videos of modern video games. Proving this via direct screenshots is a bit tricky, however, as the YouTube app forbids use of the Switch’s built-in “share” button.
Unlike other portable, powerful game systems over the past decade, the Nintendo Switch has a seemingly intentional lack of access to media-watching options. Though the system includes micro-SD support, Switch consoles cannot play back your personal media files, and the Switch eShop only offers one other official video-streaming app: Hulu.
Additionally, Switch consoles lack official access to a Web browser for the sake of media watching; a rudimentary browser can be accessed when accessing router log-in interfaces, but guiding this to video sites, which requires jumping through obnoxious hoops, usually leads to error messages.
