Nintendo has announced that its latest console, the Switch, will break from company tradition as a region-free device, meaning players from all regions will be able to use consoles/games from any other region. The Big N has attracted criticism before for its longstanding region-locking policies, which have made it difficult for frequent travellers and players of import games to have a consistent experience on Nintendo platforms. This was especially true since the company’s main competitors, Microsoft and Sony, had long since abandoned the practice.
Seeing that Nintendo Switch is also getting a simultaneous worldwide release, one might infer that the Japanese giant is attempting to simplify and globalize the way it distributes its technology and software. Given how well these things have gone over when done by other companies — such as Square Enix’s worldwide launch of Final Fantasy XV — one can hardly blame Nintendo for following suit.
Of course, whether complaints over other frequent Nintendo problems will be addressed — such as the company’s persistent issues with dated, archaic Internet infrastructure — has yet to be seen. Still, this will no doubt be seen as a step in the right direction for a company that’s often infuriatingly conservative in its adoption of mainstream hardware and software practices.
Tell us, are you excited about the Nintendo Switch’s region-free capabilities? If so, do you have any plans to import games for the new console? Let us know in the comment section below and stay tuned to We Got This Covered for all the latest on the Big N’s home console-handheld hybrid.
