Starting on June 10th, Nintendo Switch users will no longer be able to post screenshots and videos to X (formally Twitter) from the console.
This week, Nintendo announced that ” it will no longer be possible to post screenshots and videos to X (formerly Twitter) from the Nintendo Switch’s Album.” The official Nintendo X account went on to say that users will also lose the ability to ” send friend requests to social media users via the Friend Suggestions feature.”
As of June 10, 2024, it will no longer be possible 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.
Find out more: https://t.co/rNkouTo109
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 9, 2024
Since the advent of the Nintendo Switch, users have been able to post screenshots and videos from their console easily. Alongside the media, users could craft the text to go with their posts, as well as hashtags. Changes are also being made in a few specific games.
For instance, Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 are both being affected in minor ways. Both games incorporate the ability to post from the game’s mailbox. For the former, users will no longer be able to post to X from the mailbox in Inkopolis Square. In Splatoon 3, users can “make posts without one of these social media accounts, but images posted by players younger than 13 will not be visible to other players.”
While Nintendo doesn’t outright call it out, the change in policy is likely due to the changes X has made to its API access. Since early 2023, X has removed free unrestricted support to the platform’s API. Instead, the company rolled out various tiered subscriptions that scale depending on the usage. Pricing of the API v2 platform ranges depending on the needs of the company. ‘Basic’ API access is available for $100 USD (roughly $137 CAD) per month. Its larger-scale ‘Enterprise tier’ starts at $42,000 USD (around $57,631 CAD) per month.
The xGaming account did respond to this news not long after. In a quote post, X’s gaming branch goes on to confirm that Nintendo Switch users will have to download their screenshots and videos to their smartphone and then state them to the platform. The account goes on and state, “Our partnership with Nintendo remains strong, and we are working together to ensure a smooth transition for all users.”
The gaming community is one of the largest and most vibrant communities on our platform, and we are dedicated to enhancing and supporting gaming-related features. As part of Nintendo's planned discontinuation of sharing content to X from the Nintendo Switch, from June 11th, users… https://t.co/mvT7aIsSOn
— Gaming (@xGaming) May 9, 2024
Nintendo is the last of the major console platforms to remove its integration with X. Following its decisions to change its API access in 2023, both PlayStation and Xbox removed their integrations with the platform.
In a linked support page, Nintendo does note that the ability to share screenshots and videos will continue to be available on Facebook for the time being. However, the company is very upfront in saying that the service “may also be discontinued at a later date.”
