If you're used to sharing your gaming exploits on social media, you've probably noticed the impact of the new Nintendo Switch update. Since June 10, the console is no longer able to communicate with X (formerly Twitter) in order to facilitate the publication of screenshots or find contacts in the game. The removal of this functionality appears to be the only modification applied by the console's patch 18.1.0, in addition to the usual stability improvements that each update promises. Here is what we can read in the detailed note shared by the Kyoto firm:
All forms of social network integration have therefore been removed, including in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Despite The sudden appearance of this change that may disturb many players, this modification actually arrives rather late. Indeed, PlayStation console users lost the sharing functionality in November 2023, while at Xbox the disappearance of Twitter compatibility dates back to April 2023. If the reason behind this abandonment on the part of the manufacturers has never been explained, it certainly finds its source in the new pricing policy of the network applied by Elon Musk.
Access to the API for $42,000 per month... What does that mean?
Since the acquisition of Twitter by the big boss of Tesla and SpaceX, the platform has undergone many changes in its operation and in its relationship with money. In addition to the democratization of the Twitter Blue subscription which has become X Premium to benefit from certain features, certain tools reserved for businesses have also been the victim of drastic increases. This is particularly the case for access to the social network's API, which now costs from $42,000 per month, compared to $2,899 for the most expensive plan previously.
But what is an API and why has this change put off all video game manufacturers? This acronym stands for “Application Programming Interface“, which is an application programming interface in French. It is a tool that allows two applications or platforms to communicate with each other, in order to extract and share data. A subscription to Twitter's API is therefore mandatory in order to implement sharing functions on gaming consoles.
Now that this package is almost fifteen times more expensive, it is not surprising that Sony, Xbox and Nintendo decide to separate from it. Promoting their platforms via players' Twitter shares is certainly not profitable enough to justify such a monthly expense. This functionality is therefore not likely to make a comeback on the various machines in the industry. To publish their captures on X, Switch players can use the smartphone transfer tool to retrieve their images and post them themselves.
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