Nintendo Switch now has a Twitch app, but it’s missing one crucial feature

It has been several years since Nintendo Switch was released, but its users are still waiting for some integration updates to become a reality. Luckily for regular users of Twitch, they finally have an in-system app for the streaming platform so they can watch game streams and other content directly from their Switch consoles.

The Amazon-owned platform announced the update on Thursday in a blog post, along with the list of activities that Nintendo Switch users can do on the Twitch app. With the full integration feature, Twitch users can now open their accounts through the portable console.

Twitch said there is also an option to browse through categories of live content on Nintendo Switch, as well as find new streamers on the platform. The Twitch app will also allow Switch users to watch video-on-demand content and clips from their favorite creators.

The Twitch app will also work in Nintendo Switch’s docked and undocked modes. That means users can watch Twitch content directly from the Switch display or through an external monitor in docked mode.

Nintendo Switch owners can download the Twitch app through the eShop. However, the app does not support chat features on the console. Switch users have shared photos confirming that they are asked to scan a QR code through their mobile devices to sync their Twitch account. But sending chat messages or joining a chat is not available on the Switch console.

Nintendo Switch users find the lack of chat features on the Twitch app quite absurd. Some speculate that Twitch may have just ported its app for smart TVs, which also does not allow joining stream chats. It is also unclear if keeping the chats out of the Switch console is in some way related to the recent controversies Twitch faced after streamers and viewers called for changes in support for marginalized creators.

Aside from the chats, other features are not available on Nintendo Switch’s Twitch app. In an FAQ page, Twitch confirms that the Whispers feature as well as the security and privacy settings are not accessible through the app on Switch at the moment.

Photo by Alexandr Sadkov on Unsplash