Skip to main content

Nintendo’s new cross-platform Nintendo Account system is now open for registration

Earlier this month we reported that Nintendo was preparing to launch its new account system, replacing the old, cumbersome Nintendo Network ID. It’s a necessary step, as Nintendo has lagged behind Sony and Nintendo in online services for years.

The new cross-platform user account system, simply known as a Nintendo Account, launched in Japan in December, but is open for registration worldwide. There isn’t too much you can do with the account for the time being, but at least you can try to nab the user name of your choice.

Recommended Videos

The new account will be how users sign in anywhere, whether from a mobile device or Nintendo 3DS or Wii U. More importantly, users’ purchases are tracked as part of the new account. Until now, digital purchases have been tied to a single console or handheld. The new account system works similarly to PlayStation Network or Xbox Live, allowing users to easily re-download past purchases.

If you already have a Nintendo Network ID, you can use it to sign up for a new Nintendo Account. New users can sign in using Facebook, Google+, or Twitter, or can opt to sign up for a new account from scratch.

Once you’ve signed up for a Nintendo Account, you can also pre-register for Nintendo’s first mobile app, Miitomo. As a reward, you’ll earn Platinum Points, which earn rewards in the My Nintendo program set to launch along with Miitomo next month.

Closer to a social network than an actual game, Miitomo is described by Nintendo as an app that “sparks one-of-a-kind conversations between you and your friends.” The app seems to be both a way for Nintendo to test the mobile waters and a method to get users signed up for Nintendo Accounts before the company launches an actual game for mobile devices.

To get started signing up for a Nintendo Account, head over to the company’s registration page.

Kris Wouk
Former Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
A new patent suggests the Nintendo Switch 2 might upscale games to 4K
Two players play Nintendo Switch.

Although the Nintendo Switch is undeniably a success, the console has its fair share of critics. The graphical prowess of Nintendo's hybrid handheld couldn't really compete with that of the Xbox or PlayStation, but a new patent suggests the Nintendo Switch 2 might not have that problem. This patent shows a system that could upscale resolution to as high as 4K -- without native 4K textures.

The technology is similar to existing tools, like Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) or AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). In theory, Nintendo's patent would make it possible to keep game sizes smaller while still achieving gorgeous scenery and gameplay. For example, a 1080p game might need 25GB of storage, while a 4K game might need 75GB. A Nintendo Switch cartridge can only store up to 32GB of data, so 4K is out -- unless it's artificially scaled up, according to analyst Laura Kate Dale.

Read more
The Nintendo Switch’s new fitness game punched me into shape
A trainer throws hooks in Fitness Boxing 3.

My body was having a rough week.

The trouble started on Sunday when I somehow managed to injure my foot so badly by simply going for a long walk that I couldn’t put weight on it for two days. I got it working well enough on Tuesday so I could go to a concert, but four hours of standing did a number on my legs. To make matters worse, I had a messenger bag over my shoulder throughout the night, which translated to even more pain by the time I got home.

Read more
Nintendo’s next system is compatible with Nintendo Switch games
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

During its latest financial results, Nintendo revealed some more details about the successor to the Nintendo Switch. Specifically, Nintendo confirmed that people will be able to play their Nintendo Switch games on the new system.

"This is Furukawa. At today's Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch," Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday night. "Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date."

Read more