Dwango to End Nintendo Switch Niconico Service on March 31, 2027
Nintendo's newest console drops backward compatibility for this app, so the Switch 2 transition leaves Niconico users with browser and mobile as the remaining routes after roughly a decade on the hardware.
Key Facts
- Dwango announced on October 13, 2026 that the Nintendo Switch software "Niconico" will end service at 23:59 on March 31, 2027.
- New downloads of the Nintendo Switch "Niconico" software from the Nintendo eShop end at 23:59 on February 28, 2027.
- The Nintendo Switch "Niconico" app launched in July 2017 and lets users watch Niconico Douga videos, with comment posting and likes requiring member registration.
- Dwango stated there are no plans to support "Niconico" on the Nintendo Switch 2, and the app does not use the console's backward compatibility feature.
- Niconico accounts, My Lists, and other data remain usable through the browser version of Niconico Douga and the Niconico Douga app after the Switch service ends.
Reporting from 2 sources: Automaton, Denfaminicogamer.
Dwango announced on October 13, 2026 that the Nintendo Switch software "Niconico" will end service at 23:59 on March 31, 2027. New downloads from the Nintendo eShop stop at 23:59 on February 28, 2027. The Switch app, which launched in July 2017, lets users watch Niconico Douga videos across categories such as game commentary, currently airing anime, Vocaloid songs, and animal videos, with automatic related-video playback and playlists. Comment posting and likes require member registration. Accounts, My Lists, and other data carry over to the browser version of Niconico Douga and the Niconico Douga app, so they are not lost. Dwango stated there are no plans to support Niconico on the Nintendo Switch 2, and the app does not use the console's backward compatibility feature. A "Thank You for Playing So Much Campaign" will run for eligible users, delivering a record of play memories through Niconico's notification feature and granting a "Thank You for Using Nintendo Switch 'Niconico'" achievement to qualifying accounts.
Service began in July 2017 and ends after roughly ten years on the hardware. Dwango pointed to its service deployment policy and various requirements for the Nintendo Switch 2 as the reason no version is planned for the new console.
The "Thank You for Playing So Much Campaign" has two conditions, and both must be met on the same Niconico account:
- Watch videos on the Nintendo Switch version of "Niconico" between July 13, 2017, when the service started, and February 28, 2027
- Watch Niconico Douga on the PC version, smartphone browser version, or the iOS/Android app between October 1, 2026, and February 28, 2027
Qualifying accounts get a record of their play memories through Niconico's notification feature and a "Thank You for Using Nintendo Switch 'Niconico'" achievement. Niconico accounts and My Lists carry over, so users can keep watching through the browser version of Niconico Douga or the Niconico Douga app.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.