Handheld gaming consoles don’t give you the entire gaming experience which you need but the best thing about them is that they are able to be transported anywhere with ease and they manage to fit even the smallest of pockets of your bag or luggage that you’re carrying with you. Nonetheless, in order to keep your Switch up to date, many users have talked about the availability of the internet at all times.
Have you ever thought about this question whether or not the Nintendo Switch requires WiFi or not? This is one question we can’t wrap our head around because games are available to play offline as well. But since you’re offline then that would result in your game progress not being updated. This would be a serious problem.
In fact, another problem that could come about is whether or not games can be updated along with the software updates of the Switch that you will need to install. All of this requires WiFi to be carried out and so to clear this confusion, we are going to discuss today whether the Switch needs a WiFi connection or not.
Make sure to stick till the end to know about some cool features that you can carry out using your Switch.
If you can connect your Switch to the Internet then that is something that is going to help you a lot. It will allow you to play multiplayer games online for which you will require the Switch Online Service and it also allows your Switch to get updates automatically. With automatic updates, you will be able to download games from Eshop at a discount rather than buying cartridges separately.
This is more or less like the feature of the PS4 where you have digital as well as physical games. As for the Switch, it is better if you buy games digitally. Nintendo players probably know this better than anyone out there. However, just because having WiFi is good doesn’t mean that you have Internet access to your Switch all the time.
You have the option of physical cartridges or already having the game downloaded helps as well. Which is why you might not need the internet if you’re already into one of the two options mentioned. One of the best things about the Switch is that it’s a great console which can be used at home or on the go without the need for having it connected to the internet all the time.
Because of this feature of not having to be connected to the internet all the time, you can play your console wherever you are. Be it on the road or plane, the Switch is going to come to the rescue in your times of extreme boredom.
We shall now be discussing some important things which your Nintendo Switch can do on WiFi so that if you do not have WiFi then you know that these are the things which you can’t do.
Can Two Nintendo Switches Play Together Without WiFi
If you and a friend of yours both have a Nintendo Switch and you would like to play together then that won’t be a problem at all. You won’t be needing WiFi to connect both of them together with each other. You can connect two Nintendo Switches with each other that are in close proximity and enjoy your games together.
That is of course dependent on two reasons: The connection from the Nintendo Switch is accepted and the game that you are trying to play is a multiplayer game. The multiplayer experience from Nintendo is a class apart and everyone should try it at least once. Mario or Zelda would be an absolute treat to play with your friend or a family member, we cannot lie.
How you connect the Switches in order to play the game locally also varies game by game but generally you will just need to have multiple Switches with you along with multiple copies of the game. Which is basically a single copy for every Switch that you have. After which you will be going for local play or wireless play, which is a better term.
Famous Games That Could Potentially Require WiFi
Let us take examples of a few games that could work with or without WiFi. You might be wondering the same question as well so let us help you in this regard.
Fortnite
The first game that we have is Fortnite which is a completely online multiplayer game requiring you to go online with your Switch if you want to play it against your friends. You will be needing an online subscription along with a stable internet connection if you want to play Fortnite on your Switch. It is a game played against people from around the world and not simply just pre-built levels.
As for Fortnite, can you play it on your Nintendo Switch without WiFi? I think the clear answer here is no. Your Switch system certainly needs to experience Fortnite because everyone needs to try this game on the smaller screen.
This also means that you will need to have a subscription to the Switch Online service in order to be able to access and play these games online.
Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing is one of the most popular games on the Nintendo Switch and you might’ve considered buying it already. Does that game require you to have internet in order to play it or will this game work just fine without internet?
The answer is that you can easily play Animal Crossing without the internet , however you will not be able to access all the other features that come without WiFi. You will not be able to do things like visiting your friends’ islands and they won’t be able to visit yours either since there won’t be any Internet connecting the two of you with the rest of your game data.
With everything stated about a game before you download it, the information whether it requires an internet connection to play or not is also given. Animal Crossing might be okay to play without Internet connectivity but if you want the entire experience on your hands then it is better that you connect to the Internet.
Pokemon Shield
The next game that you have on the list is Pokemon Shield and what do you think about this? Will this game be able to run without a WiFi connection or not?
Pokemon Shield works just fine without the Internet and it is easy for you to be able to access all the features of the game without WiFi. You can access almost all the features of the game without making use of WiFi. The only thing you will miss out on while playing Pokemon Shield without internet is going to be trading, WiFi battles, and other fun features.
Then again, the final call is in your hands whether you want to buy the game or not because if you have WiFi with you most of the time then you can buy it or if you’re okay with playing the game offline then that is also something that can help you buy the game.
Things You Can’t Do On the Switch without WiFi
Of course, when you don’t have WiFi connected on your Switch then there are a few ways by which your activity is limited. For some games there are multiplayer modes which you cannot access. Whereas while playing in single player mode, all of these games can be played easily and you should be able to play most games offline without any issues.
Everything that comes with the Switch, be it the controllers, joy-con or any other accessories, all of it are tailor-made for a single player gaming experience but multiplayer gaming on the Switch is as good as ever. When you play games offline, you won’t be having access to the new updates for the games and the console either. The following things won’t be possible for you to do without WiFi:
- Games that are purely online aren’t worth spending your money on so no need to buy them at all. Take Splatoon 2 for example. It is a game in which the developer’s focused completely on making a complete multiplayer experience. Which is why its single-player mode is so mediocre. Where games have a better single-player mode but this game doesn’t.
- There are some games that offer a great selection of DLCs which you are going to miss out on if you’re offline. Splatoon 2 is one of those games yet again.
- If you’ve purchased a game digitally then you will need to have it downloaded on your Switch or must have its cartridge in physical form. If you plan on getting digital games then you will want to purchase an SD card as the Switch doesn’t have enough storage to hold so many downloaded games all at once.
Hiding Online Status
Another thing that you can carry out concerning the Internet and your Nintendo Switch is hide your online status by going into settings of your Switch. You can do this by changing the settings and clicking the allow friends option to prevent your friends from seeing your online status. This will help turn it off and not let your friends see that you’re playing online.
This is a great option to make sure you don’t have any interruptions or continuous messaging from your friends. Being able to play with your friends is incredibly fun on the Switch but sometimes you need to play games on your own and not with somebody else. This is the setting that is going to help you in this regard.
This is more or less a “Do not disturb” option on your Switch which is present usually in smartphones. When your friends aren’t able to see that you’re online, you will still be able to see those who are online. This feature helps you a lot. This feature allows you to play a game with a specific friend whom you can message and then inform that you’re up for a game. This way, your other friends won’t know that you’re online either.
Privacy on the Switch
In today’s world, digital privacy is something very important. It is dangerous to give out your personal details, contact, and location to anyone and this is what has made people wonder what exactly our friends see about us when we play them on the Nintendo Switch or the Switch Lite.
People worry that your friends online are able to see a lot of information about you. This is a big concern as sometimes you can befriend people in the gaming scene which you do not know that well. Thankfully, these settings can be turned off by simply going to your profile settings.
Not all of your friends need to know that you’re online and playing games on your Switch. People who are smart enough can track your location as well if they feel like it. Which is why it is always better to remain vigilant.
If you’re not the only person in your family that uses a Switch then you can also tweak the settings to make sure your status is offline when somebody else is using the system.
Blocking Someone on the Switch
When playing games online, you come across people that are absolutely unbearable which is why blocking them is probably the best option that you could do. People usually do this when they are winning and they would like to brag about their victories against you. You can simply block these gamers and move on with your business.
When you block someone on the Switch, you don’t receive any kind of messages from them and you do not see them present in games that support the Nintendo Switch’s online community. Several times people end up blocking other people just because they are rude or mean to them.
Then again, with the kind of people in the gaming community, it only makes sense that blocking is such a frequently chosen option. Blocking simply prevents you from playing against that person ever again. The best part about the blocking part is that the other person does not get to know that you’ve blocked them!
Games That Work Without WiFi on Switch
Here is a list of the most fun games you can play on your Switch when you do not have WiFi connected:
- Dragon Quest XI S
- Cadence of Hyrule
- Celest
- Paper Mario
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Undertale
- Super Mario Party
And much more. These games are just those that are scratching the surface of single player gaming with many more games expected to show up on the Switch in the coming time.
Conclusion
The Nintendo Switch is a gaming model that is quite exquisite if someone is always on the go and they have only a limited amount of time to spend on games. So the problem of having no WiFi isn’t such a big inconvenience. At times you would need it due to certain games and settings coming into effect but apart from that, it isn’t that big of an issue if you don’t have WiFi on your Switch.
This handheld device does perfectly fine even without the Internet and the guide above explains just that.
