Nintendo Switch’s Matchmaking and Lobby System Will Be Done Through a Mobile App

During the Nintendo Switch Presentation the company announced a new online service. You’d think that playing online matchmaking would be simple, but it isn’t so on the Switch. Matchmaking and lobbies in online Switch games will be done through a mobile app, according to Reggie Fils-Aime.
In an interview with GameSpot, the Nintendo of America executive gave some more details about how the Switch’s mobile app will integrate with the new paid-for online service. The decision was apparently made after the intense criticism Nintendo has received in recent years for their poor online services.

“The smartphone app that we’re creating, that will be part of our online service, we believe is going to be a very compelling part of the overall proposition because that’s how you voice chat, that’s how you’ll do your matchmaking and… and uh, create your lobby.
We also think it’s a very elegant solution, because if you’ve taken your Switch on the go, you’ve put yourself in a hotspot and you’re looking to get a quick match of Mario Kart in, to whip out some sort of bulky gamer headset is uh… a bit of a challenge. So we’ve think we’ve got an elegant solution.”

This is a bit worrying just because some people won’t have stable wifi and this may interfere with your data plans and for those who don’t intend to use their Switch as a portable device. Hopefully Nintendo uses this method for the first few months before they give us the option to pay for the online service.