Author: Marc Saltzman / Source: USA TODAY
If you’re reading, chances are you already own the Nintendo Switch ($299) or are thinking of picking one up.
As you likely know, Nintendo Switch is a unique hybrid console that’s both a portable gaming system, like a Nintendo 3DS, as well as a home console, which snaps into a docking station (included) to connect to your television.
There are several exclusive games for the platform — including best-sellers like “Super Mario Odyssey,” “Diablo 3: Eternal Collection,” “Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle,” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” – which you can buy in cartridge form or download digitally from the Nintendo eShop online store. Underneath the console’s kickstand on the back, you can snap in a microSD memory card to store more downloaded content, should the 32GB of internal storage not be enough for you.
But you already knew all this, you say? No worries. There’s a lot more to Nintendo Switch you likely weren’t aware of.
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Here are 10 such tidbits – features, tips and tricks – to getting the most out of your console.
Watch all your movies
There’s now a YouTube app for Nintendo Switch, but that’s just the beginning.
With a free service called MoviesAnywhere, you can link up all your accounts – including Amazon Prime, iTunes, Microsoft Movies & TV, FandangoNow, Xfinity, and Vudu – and then by linking your MoviesAnywhere account to Google Play, all your flicks will show up under “Purchases” on YouTube.
And since you have access to YouTube on your Nintendo Switch, you’re good to watch all your purchased movies on your console!
Download video games from any eShop
Nintendo Switch is “region-free,” meaning you can play games from other countries. For example, you can download some cool Japanese games you won’t find at retail in the U.S., nor will you see it appear at the Nintendo eShop.
With Japan as an example, simply go to my.nintendo.com/getting_started in a web browser to create a new account and be sure to select Japan as your country. To register, use a different email address than the one tied to your U.S. account. Once this is done, create a new profile on your Nintendo Switch and call it something like Japan, and tie this profile to that new account you created online. Once you open the Nintendo eShop tied to that profile – voila! — you can download Japanese titles (some available with English subtitles).
Have your Switch charge your phone
Here’s something you may not know: If your smartphone’s battery is waning and you have your Nintendo Switch with you, you can give your smartphone a battery boost!
Simply connect your smartphone to the Nintendo Switch’s USB-C port underneath the unit, using a compatible cable, and it works right away. As an Android user, I had a USB-C to USB-C cable already, or you can use a full-size USB adaptor (usually found in the box with many of today’s Android phones) or for iPhone users, pick up a Lightning-to-USB-C cable at your local dollar store.
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