Nintendo’s online services will be free to start, no region locking on software

When the Nintendo Switch hits shelves this March, alongside it will come a new online service for Nintendo. For the first time, Nintendo will be asking players to pay for their online service.

Nintendo isn’t talking price yet, though, and there’s a reason. When the console launches, the service will be free. It’s only this fall that they’ll start charging for it. This should provide players a good chance to get into the service and see if they like it, and for Nintendo to test the more demanding service without the burden of paying customers.

In addition, Nintendo has announced that region locking, which keeps you from playing Japanese games on an American system, is being dropped for Nintendo Switch software.

The Nintendo Switch launches worldwide on March 3, 2017.