In a talk with Nikkei, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima stated that the price for Nintendo Switch’s upcoming online service should be around 2,000-3,000 yen per year. A quick conversion puts that around $16.50-$26.50 USD.
For reference, PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold (both of which are required to play most online games on PS4 and Xbox One respectively), cost $59.99 for a yearly subscription with retailers routinely dropping them down to around $39.99.
Kimishima reasons that the subscription fee allows Nintendo to support online games and game downloads. We assume he’s referring to the monthly, free NES or SNES game that will be given to users who are a part of the service.
Nintendo’s online service will give users access to online multiplayer gameplay, lobbies, a voice chat app on smart devices, a monthly game download, and “exclusive deals.”
A limited version of the online service, offering online gameplay, will be available when the Nintendo Switch launches next month. Additional features will be added when the paid service launches this fall.