Topic: Still no internet browser?

I may just be uninformed but has Nintendo ever come out publicly yet about why the Switch or Switch 2 doesn't have an internet browser? Or at least why we can't access the built-in one? I personally would love to have access to an internet browser, or at least until YouTube works.

Web browsers are a common attack vector for running unauthorised code i.e. homebrew and piracy. Was how you open up the Wii U and 3DS in particular. And what do you gain from it in this day and age when phones and other devices are common? Not much

High risk, low reward

I never really understood why a web browser is even needed on a games console. Especially in the age where absolutely everyone has phones.

I never understood why people want these type of things on the Switch. The Switch is a game console. If people want a web browser and YouTube etc then they should buy a cheap android tablet.

@HighTide

It'd be cool (not everyone wants to muck about with their smartphone or a tablet when accessing the internet) but it would never ever happen, not with Nintendo being so paranoid right now about allowing any form of homebrew or piracy on to it's consoles, heck even YouTube seems like it's light years away at the moment.

Nintendo, especially Nintendo of America, has gotten a lot more picky about the content that is experienced on their platform over the past year. Of course they don't want the internet of all things on their platform. It's a big shame, since I was interested in purchasing a game that Nintendo of America canceled, so I'm not the greatest fan of the whole situation and I'm hoping there's a turnaround.

Edit: piracy too, as mentioned above.

Use your computer or smartphone they already have a browser. This console is for hybrid gaming console. Having browser is a quick way for Pirate/HomeBrew that is what is said in this thread without saying it. They have Youtube app and working on one for Switch2. I think we all here know what your trying to do.

As someone who chose not to have a phone in school to at least try and get good grades and actually used the 3DS browser a sh*tton, I'd support this. Also wouldn't it enable people to not separate from the console to look up solutions if they get stuck in games, didn't people love that about the Miiverse?

Pirates, pirates, pirates! the pirates are everywhere let's go get em!.. it's all some people ever talk about (including Nintendo) as soon as anything other than running native games on the hardware is mentioned.
Well maybe just maybe Nintendo if you'd just.. what the heck, why am I bothering.

Yes let's Go and get them Homebrewers.....I all for that. Like I said you got a computer to use for Browser or Tablet with a Browser so there is no real excuse and if the school has technology they have computers for student to use to do their classes on.

When the discussion is about why they haven't added a rarely used feature that has repeatedly been the back door for unauthorised code execution? Then we're going to talk about piracy. Because it's very clearly the reason why it's not there and it answers OP's question

I won't link because I don't want to fly too close to the sun here. But look up how previous consoles have been exploited. It's usually some save game or browser exploit. Guess what Nintendo has locked down since the Switch? Backing up save games outside of NSO and access to a web browser. This isn't a coincidence

Microsoft still put a web browser into their consoles but, unlike Nintendo and Sony, they're very much in the business of making browsers and computer operating systems generally, so it's far less of a reach for them.

I'd think that it's a handy feature, as you're always going to get things that you'd like to do on a console and the hardware is quite capable of, but don't get a dedicated app. Still, I can see why vendors are a bit wary when it's a security hole you could drive a bus though.

They are everywhere, in all sorts of ways.

Emulators, traditional ROMs, opening up consoles (even the mini ones), etc. If you're good and have a PC these days, you really don't need to pay for a single game.

In my eyes, that's disgusting when it comes to recent, modern games. You're totally ripping off the publishers and, more importantly, the developers' hard work. For really old games, like decades old... yea, I can get it, I don't think it's the end of the world.

But Nintendo is right to guard against this kind of stuff. I don't really see why someone would debate it being a "good" thing to not be worried about piracy with your current-gen games and hardware.

Didn't say it was a "good" thing, like I've said many times you're never EVER going to stop piracy/homebrew there's always going to be people wanting to play free games or just run software on devices they weren't designed for. Just look at how massive the hacked DS/3DS/PSP/Vita scene is now. But why the hell does Nintendo have to be so goddam bombastic about it, all that's gonna achieve is to push the hackers/modders even harder and then what happens the general gamer suffers that's what.

@Dhaladog
Of course you're never going to get rid of them, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't take commonsense approaches to limit it. Very Sisyphean, and frankly so dumb that we need to keep typing stuff like this.

So whatevs, man. If you think Nintendo taking down literal homebrew cracks of their current-gen consoles to combat pirating and not putting an internet browser on a GAMING console is "bombastic," I for one am not gonna waste any more of my time on you lol

Ta ta

Yep, just look at them. And just look at how early and how these platforms were opened up

Or, you know, alternatively you could just live in your little anarchist bubble you've created for yourself here and pretend it's a bad thing for people to pay people for their recently released work. Each to their own

Praise the lord you've made me laugh (a lot) same old rhetoric from the Nintendo junkies as soon as they hear something that they don't like they're either hurling insults or just running away to hide in a dark corner somewhere.. hey ho.
And for the record I AM NOT 'pretending it's a bad thing for people to pay for their games' just the way that Nintendo goes about policing it that's all.

@Dhaladog
I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Thread is about why they don't have a browser. It was explained simply that they don't allow it because browsers tend to be a gaping security hole. And your response to that explanation is to cite how vibrant the modding scene is for these consoles that were broken wide open

Excuse my cheeky response pointing you back to the answer but you know why they don't have a browser, you have your answer. Now you just seem to want to get your pitchforks out over it because.... why?

So I'll flip your whine about "Nintendo junkies" back at you. Why is it that some people take any explanation or discussion of anything Nintendo that isn't a directly complaining about Nintendo as rabid fanboyism? It's entirely possible to just, you know, not particularly care about things that have literally no material impact on you. To just answer and move on

It's as simple as this. They don't have a browser because they have historically been prone to exploits. And the fact that they don't have one is a bit of a non issue anyways, because phones exist. So why are you so invested in this?

[quote=skywake]@Dhaladog
I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Thread is about why they don't have a browser. It was explained simply that they don't allow it because browsers tend to be a gaping security hole. And your response to that explanation is to cite how vibrant the modding scene is for these consoles that were broken wide open

OK I can see we are going nowhere fast here.. so I'll just leave it like this, you are right and I am wrong.. happy now, let's move on.