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It’s a familiar story for early adopters of a new Nintendo console: you get your shiny new hardware home, but a key streaming apps are nowhere to be found. That’s been the case for the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched just last week on June 5th. The YouTube app from the original Switch isn’t compatible – it’s not on the eShop, and even if you transfer it from an older console, it simply won’t start. Well, it turns out sometimes all you have to do is ask. After a user on X pointed out the need for the YouTube app, the official TeamYouTube account responded, confirming that “We’re working with Nintendo to make YouTube available on the Switch 2 soon.”
While “soon” is one of those wonderfully vague corporate timelines, this official confirmation is fantastic news. For context, owners of the original Switch had to wait over a year and a half after the console’s March 2017 launch for the YouTube app to finally arrive in November 2018. Given the platform’s maturity now, we’re really hoping we won’t have to endure a similarly long wait this time around.
There are still a few unknowns, of course. YouTube didn’t specify whether they are building a brand-new app just for the Switch 2 to take advantage of its more powerful custom Nvidia processor and larger screen, or if they’re creating an updated universal app that works on both Switch generations. It’s also worth noting that other major streaming apps like Hulu and Crunchyroll are in the same non-compatible boat, with no official word yet on their plans for the new handheld.
Still, getting this direct confirmation from the YouTube team just days after the Switch 2’s launch is a great sign. Hopefully, “soon” means we won’t have to wait too long before we can catch up on the latest Chrome Unboxed videos on Nintendo’s new hardware!
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