Nintendo Seeks 10K Gamers To Test A Secret New Switch Feature, How To Apply

Nintendo fans are hoping for a Switch 2 announcement, which could come any day now, though it probably won't until sometime next year. Instead of a next-gen console, however, Nintendo has something else up its sleeve and it's a bit mysterious. It's some kind of "Playtest Program" for Switch owners, and Nintendo is looking for up to 10,000 gamers to help the company out.

"We will perform a test called Nintendo Switch Online: Playtest Program related to a new feature for the Nintendo Switch Online service offered for the Nintendo Switch system," Nintendo states. "We will recruit people to participate in this test from customers who have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership."

Nintendo also says that potential participants will need to download some "exclusive software" to their Switch console in order to take part in the playtest. Exactly what it entails, however, is not something Nintendo is ready to divulge.

In order to apply, you must first meet a set of requirements. They include...

• You must have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership as of Wednesday, 10/09/2024 03:00 p.m. PDT.
• You must be at least 18 years of age as of Wednesday, 10/09/2024 03:00 p.m. PDT.
• Your Nintendo Account must be registered to one of the following countries: Japan, The United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain.

Participants must also accept a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), as shared on X/Twitter by OatmealDome. Whatever is afoot, Nintendo wants to keep it a secret until it's had a chance to test the secretive new feature and roll it out to the public. The only thing we know is that it will require around 2.2GB of free storage space.

If you want to be considered for the playtest, review the application guidelines in full and then click big red 'To Application Page' button at the bottom. You'll then be prompted to either sign into your Nintendo account or create one.

Meanwhile, the wait is on for Nintendo to officially reveal a Switch successor, presumably the Switch 2 (or possibly a Switch Pro). Nintendo revealed it will make such an announcement by the end of its current fiscal year, which runs through March 2025.