Crunchyroll Is Finally Available on the Nintendo Switch
In February, Crunchyroll entered a select group of Nintendo Switch streaming services with the cutest trailer possible. You can already find the Crunchyroll app in the Nintendo eShop. It lets you watch your favorite anime in handheld or tabletop mode or blast it on your TV screen with the help of the dock.
This is one of the few available streaming services on the Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately, others like Netflix or Disney+ aren’t available on the console at the moment. But you can still find other streaming services like Pokemon TV, YouTube, Twitch, and now Crunchyroll.
How to Find and Download Crunchyroll on the Nintendo Switch
Downloading and using Crunchyroll on your Nintendo Switch couldn’t be any easier. All you need to do is follow these steps:
Turn on your Nintendo Switch. Open the Nintendo eShop. It’s the icon with the form of an orange shopping bag that appears at the bottom of your screen. If you need to, choose the profile you want to use. Once you’re in the Nintendo eShop, select the Search/Browse on the left side of your screen. Enter Crunchyroll in the search bar. Select Crunchyroll from the search results. Select Free Download. Press Free Download one more time to confirm. Press Close.
And that’s it! Once the Crunchyroll app has installed onto your Switch, you just need to open it and log in or create a new account. You can also skip all that, browse through the Crunchyroll library first, and start watching some anime.
What Do You Need to Use Crunchyroll
Like Netflix and other streaming services, Crunchyroll is a paid service. You’ll need to get a subscription to enjoy Crunchyroll’s premium features, like offline and ad-free viewing.
However, what’s really cool about Crunchyroll is that you can use the service for free. Without subscribing, you can still watch pretty much every episode and movie available—except for the very newest. Of course, this means that you won’t get all of Crunchyroll’s features, and you’ll have to watch (a lot of) ads in with every episode you watch. Still, it’s a pretty cool deal if you’re on a budget.
Otherwise, Crunchyroll offers two different premium services—a Fan and a Mega Fan subscription. The Fan subscription costs $7.99/mo, which you’ll pay annually. The Mega Fan plan costs $9.99/mo, or you can go for a yearly Mega Fan subscription for $99.99, effectively giving you two months free. Or you can go the free route and watch your favorite anime with a few limitations.
Nintendo Switch Is Still Behind
Unfortunately, if you aren’t that big of an anime fan, you don’t have many streaming options on the Nintendo Switch. Unlike the PlayStation and Xbox, the Nintendo Switch lacks some popular subscription services. Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and many others are missing from the platform. What’s more, there aren’t any clues when, or if, these streaming services will be available on the Nintendo console.
Crunchyroll has become the third streaming service to launch on the Nintendo Switch in recent months. The first one was the Pokemon TV app in September 2021. And earlier this year, Twitch released an official app for the Nintendo Switch too.
Welcome, Crunchyroll
For anime fans, this is fantastic news. You’ll be able to watch anime on the go or move it to the big screen at home in a flash. But if you’re still not sure that Crunchyroll is worth the money, other excellent streaming services are available.
