Nintendo Switch Online Suffers Connection Problems in China

Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo’s paid online service for the Nintendo Switch, is now live, but it looks like some people are having trouble with it. As in all of China— though in this case, the problem might not be Nintendo (for once).

YouTube channel Chinese Nintendo reports that Chinese players are facing connection errors and black screen failures when they attempt to play games online. Why is this happening? Well, as it turns out, Nintendo Switch Online may be using Google’s servers, and, well, Google is banned in China. Since Google can’t be accessed behind the Great Firewall of China, connection errors for Chinese players are also occurring as a result.

For now, that’s all we know, but presumably, this is something Nintendo will have to act on quickly. While Google has plans to return to the Chinese market by succumbing to the local government’s demands for censorship and information control, until that happens, Nintendo can’t afford to be offering busted online services to its Chinese base. Maybe quickly partner up with a local provider for China-specific servers?

After Nintendo Switch Online membership officially rolled out yesterday, many Chinese gamers have suffered with black screens and connection failures in Splatoon 2 and MK8D.
Tests have shown that it is probably due to the introduction of Google-based servers. pic.twitter.com/ePny5ogZrD

— Chinese Nintendo (@chinesenintendo) September 21, 2018