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Nintendo Switch Sports is available worldwide as of April 29, 2022!
★Release Date and Editions / Switch Sports Review
☆List of Sports / Pro League / Beginner's Guide
Can't decide on a title? Check out our Title Generator!
★ Best Title Combinations | Title Generator
You need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription if you want to play Nintendo Switch Sports online and obtain items, but it is not necessary if you are mainly playing the game locally. Read on for more information about playing the game with or without an online subscription, as well as a comparison of features!
List of Contents
| With NSO subscription | Without NSO subscription | |
|---|---|---|
| Online opponents | Real players and CPUs | CPUs only |
| Pro League access? | Yes | No |
| Playing with friends | Online and local | Local only |
| Obtaining items | Can obtain all items in collections | Limited to two items per collection |
If you want to play online against random players and test your skills in the game's Pro League ranked matchmaking feature, then you do need to have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Having an active online subscription will allow you to connect with random people online and rise through the ranks of the Pro League, compared to only facing CPU-controlled opponents with no access to the game's ranked matchmaking when playing in Trial Mode, the game's limited online functionality when you do not have an active online subscription.
Additionally, if you want to connect with your friends from faraway, you also need to have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to connect with them and play in a lobby.
How to Play Online Multiplayer
You also need an online subscription if you want to have plenty of items to customize your Sportsmate or Mii. These items, which range from clothes, hats, and more can be obtained by playing online, earning points, and obtaining them from Weekly Collections.
If you are connected to Nintendo Switch Online, you will have access to various clothing items, stamps, and titles as you play online, something which is very limited when playing in Trial Mode.
If the reason why you bought Nintendo Switch Sports is solely to play with your family and friends while being in the same room, then getting a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is not necessary. You can enjoy the game locally without an online subscription, although you might need a couple more Joy-Con controllers to accommodate more people.
If you are content with playing against CPU-controlled Sportsmates and obtaining a few items for customization, you also do not need an online subscription and you can play the game in Trial Mode.
Trial Mode will allow you to experience random matchmaking in Play Globally, although you will only face CPUs. Additionally, you can only earn two items from the newest collection added in the game.
If you don't mind only having to match against CPUs when playing alone, then you can opt not to get an online subscription.
Facing against CPUs can come with a challenge, as you can select their difficulty before starting a match against them.
If character customizations isn't your thing, then you can also opt not to avail Nintendo Switch Online services.
Clothing customizations will be very limited when playing online against CPUs in Trial Mode, as you can only get a limited amount of items in the featured collections, compared to having full access to all items after unlocking them if you do have an online subscription.
As a workaround to look different, you can play the game as a Mii which you can freely customize in your Switch's Mii Maker.
Do You Need Nintendo Switch Online?
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Release Date & Editions
Pre-Order Bonuses
List of Trailers
Switch Sports Online Play Test
Is Mii Matt in Switch Sports?
Missing Wii Sports Games
Is Free Roam Possible?
Review and Evaluation
Differences from Past Games
Character Creation Guide
How to Farm Points
Multiplayer Features
Online Pro League
How to Create & Use Miis
Alternate-Color Mode
How to Play Solo
Do You Need Nintendo Switch Online?
Online Play Penalty
How to Download and Install
Free Software Updates
Leg Strap Update
Switch Sports Accessories
Controller Support
Switch Lite Compatibility
