Quick Links
- How to Download Streaming Apps on Nintendo Switch
- Can You Get Netflix on Nintendo Switch?
Key Takeaways
- Hulu, YouTube, and Crunchyroll are the Nintendo Switch’s only streaming services.
- Funimation, Twitch, and Pokémon TV used to be available, but these shut down in 2024.
- The Switch is better for gaming than streaming; apps from the likes of Netflix and Prime Video are unlikely to happen.
The Nintendo Switch is a great games console, but unlike the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it doesn’t have a wide range of streaming apps. While it does offer some media consumption services like Hulu and Crunchyroll, it’s not possible to stream yourself on the Switch.
In this article, we show you the streaming services that you can use on your Nintendo Switch, all of which are available to download from the eShop.
The Hulu app is free, though you will need a paid subscription to use the Disney-owned service, which lets you watch thousands of movies and TV shows. For an additional cost, you can add live TV and premium networks like HBO Max and Starz.
The Hulu app for Nintendo Switch is only available in the US—which makes sense, since Hulu doesn’t serve any other territories. The cheapest Hulu plan costs $7.99/month, which is supported by ads, though Hulu has ad-free subscription plans.
YouTube is on the Nintendo Switch and is completely free, though it’s ad-supported—to get rid of those, you’ll need a subscription to YouTube Premium. If you’ve ever used YouTube on another console or smart TV, you’ll be familiar with the app.
You can search for videos, browse your library, and interact with the community just like you can when browsing YouTube on a desktop. Unfortunately, one of the main things that you can’t do is upload video, either through the YouTube app or Nintendo’s video-sharing functionality.
If you’re an anime fan, chances are that you’ve heard of Crunchyroll. It’s the ultimate streaming destination for all things anime, featuring over 1,000 shows in multiple languages, including classics like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and One Piece. You can also stream Crunchyroll Originals, which are shows produced by the company and mostly exclusive to the service.
Crunchyroll offers free and paid viewing. A reasonably sized catalog of shows are available to stream for free, supported by ads. But if you want to watch new anime, download shows for offline viewing, and have no ads, you’ll need to subscribe to Crunchyroll Premium. Plans begin at $7.99/month.
Funimation, another anime streamer, was previously accessible as a separate service on the Switch. However, Funimation merged into Crunchyroll, and the website and all apps closed in April 2024.
How to Download Streaming Apps on Nintendo Switch
To download any of these apps on your Nintendo Switch, go to the console’s home screen and open the Nintendo eShop (the shopping bag icon).
If you don’t have an internet connection and/or a Nintendo account, you will be guided through the setup process. Both are mandatory.
Once you’re in, select Search from the left-hand navigation. Select the app, then choose Free Download. This will take you through to a screen called Confirm Items to Purchase but don’t worry because that’s just the generic name for this checkout page.
Press Free Download again, and the app will download to your Nintendo Switch and be accessible from the home screen.
Can You Get Netflix on Nintendo Switch?
No. At the time of writing, you cannot get Netflix on the Nintendo Switch. In fact, you can’t get many popular streaming services on the Switch, since the console is also missing the likes of Disney+, Max, and Amazon Prime Video.
Evidently, the Switch has limited streaming options. Twitch and Pokémon TV used to be available, but they closed in January and March 2024, respectively, and Funimation merged into Crunchyroll.
In a 2017 interview with The Washington Post, Nintendo of America’s then-president Reggie Fils-Aime said that Nintendo built the Switch to be primarily a “world-class gaming device.” He also stated that Nintendo was talking to “companies like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon,” and support for those streaming apps would “come in time.”
Fast-forward many years, and only one of those services that Fils-Aime mentioned is on the Nintendo Switch, and the situation is unlikely to change.
