Sharing screenshots and gameplay videos from your Nintendo Switch to Twitter (or X as some insist it be called) is about to get harder. That’s because Nintendo has decided it will no longer support the social media platform on Switch and thus remove Twitter integration next month.
This comes via a very brief Twitter post by Nintendo of America. Starting from June 10, Switch owners will be unable to “post screenshots and videos to X (formerly Twitter) from the Nintendo Switch’s Album, or send friend requests to social media users via the Friend Suggestions feature.” A slightly longer breakdown on Nintendo’s website adds how this’ll also affect sharing features in the likes of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 3.
There is a workaround to this since you can transfer screenshots and video captures to a mobile device, and then upload them to Twitter from there, but it’s hardly ideal and just makes the process far less simple. Nintendo has stated that Facebook integration isn’t going away, but it could still be discontinued at a later date.
So, why is this happening in the first place? Nintendo hasn’t provided a reason, but it’s widely assumed it has to do with the cost of Twitter’s API (application programming interface). Basically, Nintendo needs access to the API for Twitter integration on its console but, in 2023, Twitter CEO Elon Musk rolled out a new pricing structure for it. According to The Verge, companies like Nintendo would need to pay upwards of $42,000 a month. Both Sony and Microsoft had already discontinued Twitter support on their PlayStation and Xbox platforms sometime after the change in price. Neither company commented on why they did this, but it’s hard not to believe it was because they weren’t willing to foot the bill.
The official XGaming account maintains that its “partnership with Nintendo remains strong,” but nobody seems to be buying that judging by the responses. A Community Notes post directly under it also attributes the changes made to the API as the cause behind Nintendo’s decision. If this is indeed the case, then we probably shouldn’t expect Twitter integration to be included in Nintendo’s next console, which it plans to announce within the next 12 months or so.
