If you were
one of those who enjoyed binge-watching your favorite series curled up in bed
with your console, it's time to look for an alternative. Crunchyroll surprised Nintendo
Switch users by confirming that its official application will stop
working permanently on the device on October 30, 2026.
The
withdrawal from the platform has already begun behind the scenes, as the app
was quietly removed from Nintendo's eShop, meaning that no one can download it
for the first time. Those users who already have it installed on their portable
console will be able to continue playing episodes for the remaining time, but
once the October deadline passes, the service will be completely inaccessible on
the system.
What really
ignited the conversation among fans is the situation of the future Nintendo
Switch 2. The platform's customer support team clarified that the service
will also not be available for the next-gen console due to the device currently
lacking support for multiple video-on-demand applications. In fact, if a user
performs the data transfer from their original console, the application icon
will appear in the menu of the new machine, but it will never run the player.
Launched on
the Nintendo store in early 2022, the Crunchyroll app offered
the ability to enjoy the Japanese animation catalog in handheld, desktop, and
TV modes. The service continues to be available on consoles such as PlayStation
and Xbox, as well as on mobile devices, smart TVs, web browsers and even on
integrated screens in modern vehicles. This decision is in addition to other
recent changes in the company's strategy, such as the definitive elimination of
the free catalog with ads at the end of 2025.
Seeing that
the platform is ditching players on Nintendo's handheld consoles to focus on
other devices
