Topic: Is it possible for StreetPass to be patched in through an update?

For if a speculative "Mini" model of the Nintendo Switch comes out, is it possible for StreetPass to be patched in through a system update or would it have to be added into a DSi/New 3DS type of redesign of the Switch?

Streetpass is just WiFi so technically the Switch just needs a firmware update to support it. Whether or not Nintendo still thinks it's a feature they want to play around with or not is another issue.

Street pass is the reason 3DS drain's its battery when sleeping relatively fast while Switch loses only a few % per day. It COULD be added in, but there would be a significant cost to the system's utility. It's also a feature fairly useless outside Japan (and I imagine dense cities elsewhere.)

That said, it's entirely possible the smartphone app will have a Street Pass like feature which would actaully be WAAAY better than a console-based one since more people have it with them and powered on more often so we'd probably see a lot more Street Pass activity that way, and it would all tie back into our consoles, and makes it actually practical for people who only play their Switch in the dock, so that's something that we could find out as early as next month or as late as 2018.