Nintendo Switch will not ship at launch with the ability to access its own online functions, or to expand the memory card. In our first look preview of Nintendo Switch's operating system and UI, we noted quickly that all the online functions required a software update to be able to use. What functions specifically? The features inaccessible include:

  • Linking Nintendo Account to your profile
  • Adding friends
  • Receiving News
  • Accessing eShop
  • Posting screenshots on social media
  • Sending/Receiving Miis
  • Software Updates
  • Connecting My Nintendo Rewards Program

The system update doesn't just hinder online services, but also your ability to use a Micro SD card. During our preview impressions, we have not been able to add the SD card, limiting our memory storage to 25.9 GB (the remaining amount of 32 GB after subtracting memory allocated to the OS).

Of course, this hopefully won't be too much of a problem. Nintendo has confirmed that this update will be available before launch, so anyone picking up the Nintendo Switch on March 3rd will have access to all these features after updating. In our preview, we noted how stable the operating system is otherwise (largely in part to the UI's minimalist design) -- whether the system update will make things slow down remains to be seen.

As noted above, Nintendo Switch launches worldwide on March 3, 2017. Check out DualShockers unboxing video, where we inspect everything you will be able to find in the hardware's box on Day 1.