Free trials for Nintendo Switch Online are being reset, at least in Europe. The Switch is the latest home console from Nintendo, and it combines the power of the Wii U with the portability of Game Boy, allowing users to "switch" between handheld and television modes. In the wake of the Wii U's unfortunate financial failure in the global marketplace, the Switch represented a strong rebound for Nintendo, and it's quickly become one of the company's most successful systems ever.

One of the new features of the Nintendo Switch is the addition of an online subscription service. For only $20 a year, users can play their Nintendo games online and have access to unique perks like a roster of classic Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo titles, which has effectively replaced the Virtual Console on this generation of hardware. While some have decried the idea of locking features behind a paid subscription, most agree it was only a matter of time before Nintendo decided to follow in the footsteps of competitors Sony and Microsoft, who have had their own subscription services (Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus) for years now.

Normally, all Nintendo Switch owners have access to a seven-day free trial of the online subscription, but Nintendo of Europe tweeted out an announcement earlier today that all seven-day trials have been reset. Thus, any users who have already used their trial but haven't bought in to the online service will have another opportunity to play online free for an additional week.


It's unclear if the free trial renewal is isolated to European territories, or if other territories are getting a second chance at a free week of Nintendo Switch Online. Whatever the case, the online infrastructure of the Switch isn't quite as stable as those of the PlayStation of Xbox systems, but the roster of free NES and SNES games includes legendary classics like the original Super Mario Bros. titles and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Many of these games still hold up today, and if someone hasn't played Super Metroid or Breath of Fire yet, there's no time like the present. This move by Nintendo is likely a response to the current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which has forced families to stay home in an effort to flatten the curve and curb the spread of the dangerous virus. Schools are closed around the world, and people are discouraged from leaving their homes unless it is absolutely necessary, and to follow social distancing mandates whenever possible, so having an extra week to play Nintendo Switch games online for free couldn't have come at a better time.