Summary
A minor but often used online feature of theNintendo Switch, Twitter integration, is going away soon. Nintendo announced that it will discontinue the functionality in a matter of weeks, affecting users who employ the feature to share screenshots and gameplay videos from theirNintendo Switchon a major social media platform.
For years, many video games and game platforms have used features tied to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to give players an in-game connection to their real-world friends and followers. ThePS3 multiplayer spin-offThe Last of Us: Factionsincorporated the ability to link a person’s PlayStation Network and Facebook accounts to populate a player’s game with names from their list of friends and family.Granblue Fantasy, the browser-based parent game ofGranblue Fantasy Relink, heavily incorporated Twitter posts into its matchmaking system, allowing players to post online and have others help them overcome the game’s toughest challenges.
For Switch players, though, Twitter integration will disappear in a matter of weeks. The company announced the move via its official Twitter account. In its announcement, Nintendo referred to Twitter by its current name of X, which it took onafter Twitter was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022. It said that on June 15, 2025, players will lose the ability to directly post screenshots and videos to Twitter via the Switch’s Album. Social features related to Twitter functionality are also affected, as players will no longer be able to send friend requests to others on Twitter via the Switch’s Friend Suggestion feature.
When Is Nintendo Discontinuing Twitter Functionality?
Some major Switch games will also be affected by the decision. In a linked support article, Nintendo said that the ability to post directly to Twitter and Facebook via theSplatoon 2andSplatoon 3in-game mailbox will be removed, though the mailbox itself will remain for in-game posts.Players can still draw and post pictures inSplatoon 3, but will need to upload the images manually by downloading them off of the Switch and onto a computer or smart device if they want to post them to social media. Meanwhile,Splatoon 2will no longer display player-created posts in the Square. Instead, the spots for player posts will be replaced with pre-created characters and images. Outside theSplatoontitles, image and video sharing to Facebook from the Switch Album will be unaffected, though Nintendo cautioned that the functionality may be removed “at a later date.”
Nintendo did not offer an explanation for why it is discontinuing its support for Twitter on the Nintendo Switch. Some reactions online, however, pointed out that the company’s move matches that made by Sony,which removed Twitter integration on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2023. Some commentators speculated that the rising cost of access to Twitter’s API (a key part of enabling Twitter functionality in external programs) is to blame for the recent wave of companies withdrawing Twitter support.
