Nintendo Switch Online App Now Available - Phone Screen Must Be On Entire Time

The much anticipated voice chat app for the Nintendo Switch has finally arrived to iOS and Android devices earlier today. This is introducing voice chat for the console which it had been lacking since its launch in March.

Not much surprise to many, the app's release was quite controversial. One especially controversial setback is that you have to leave your phone's screen on the app the entire time you're using voice chat. That's right - you can't switch to another app or put your phone on sleep. The app in turn eats away your battery in the process. Splatoon is currently the only game that this app supports as well. 

Nintendo's decision for doing this is very questionable, when apps like Discord and Skype exist with much more features and can be played in the background. 

This online app has been met with criticism ever since it was revealed just how much work it takes to voice chat with a headset. 

It requires an adapter just to chat with your headset.  Yikes. 

Despite all this controversy, in all fairness, the app just launched. Hopefully Nintendo will listen to criticism and update the app to be much more user friendly. Right now it's a nightmare and most players will probably just stick to Discord.