Topic: Multiple online players on one console

Hi all,

Apologies if this has been asked before (i suspect it has!) but I’m trying to understand how the online play works when you’ve got more than one person who want to play in one household. I have signed up for the free account and have played FIFA with another person with no problems.

We have one Switch console (there are two of us) and we would like to play something like Mario Olympics with a couple of friends friends from another family?

Is it possible to do this and if so what sort of online account do we need?

Many Thanks!

@Eyeballkid Not all games offer the same online multiplayer options. So you're answer will differ from game to game. For better attention, I would edit your post title to mention "how to play friends online? Mairo Sonic Olympics 2020". (the edit button is by your username on the post (for tablets: touch your post while logged in, and by your username, you'll get the EDIT button))

@Eyeballkid It very much depends on the game. In general you'll need to each have a game that allows for online couch co-op. I've not played mario and sonic, so can't comment on that one. Each set of people will need a nintendo online subscription.(only one person per Switch).

Some games I know of that have online couch co-op.

Mario Kart 8
Rocket League
Hotshots Racing
Bomberman
Runbow
Killer Queen Black

@Wargoose Thanks, it’s more the process of getting multiple people online than the game specifically so this helps a lot. So, if I understand it correctly, each person would need to have an online account and only one person per console? So if my partner and I wanted to play friends we would each need a console?

@Eyeballkid basically one online account per console being used.

Some games allow you to play split screen on one console, while also playing online. It differs from game to game though

So Mario Kart 8 allows for 2 on one switch vs 2 on another. Rocket League and Hot Shots Racing I believe can do up to 4 on one console vs another. Then there's something like Sonic Kart which doesn't allow you to do split screen while playing online. So for that you'd need everyone to have a Switch, and everyone to have an account.

@Eyeballkid There is a family online subscription which covers multiple Switchs. I've not looked into how much cheaper it is than individual ones though

@Eyeballkid Some games require a Switch Online account for each person playing the online game. Some don't. The answer depends on which games you have. Games are made by different people /companies and have varying degrees of online features, or none.

Mairo Kart 8 - doesn't require multiple Nintendo Switch Online accounts

Online games with large detailed progression systems like Splatoon 2 and Animal Crossing do required one NSO account per person for the online play.

You can ask Nintendo customer service for more concise answers if you like, but they will ask which games you are inquiring about. https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/contact

I provided Nintendo of North America's link because they have a chat messenger, and your topic requires multiple questions and answers, which will be much quicker with chat messenger, rather than slow email replies. Nintendo UK support has a contact page, but it currently is email only, due to the pandemic.