Nintendo Released Its Mobile Store App on iOS and Android

Nintendo has launched a Nintendo Store app for iOS and Android, offering Switch owners an easy way to browse for games, manage wishlists, and load up on promotions while on the go.

It is the company’s first truly all-encompassing storefront presence on mobile linked directly to the console ecosystem, and it comes as players are shopping more than ever for software on their phones.

What You Can Do in the App: Browsing, Wishlists, and Deals

Log in with a Nintendo Account and the app reveals a familiar eShop-style experience: featured games, topical collections, search, categories, and price drops.

Your wishlist lives front and center, syncing with the account you use on your Switch hardware. Sales are easier to follow without having to dig through a mobile browser. The catalog covers everything from Nintendo’s current lineup to Switch and the talked-about, but with no official announcement yet, next hardware that many have referred to as “Switch 2.”

This puts Nintendo in line with its competitors, who long ago adopted mobile as a default browsing and buying touchpoint. Both PlayStation and Xbox users have had strong apps for years, and in practice millions of players kick off their game discovery journey on a phone even if they do not make purchases there.

Shopping Still Takes Place on the Web via an In-App Browser

There is one major exception: when you tap on a game to buy it, the app hands off the transaction to Nintendo’s website using an in-app browser rather than processing the purchase natively. Functionally, it works smoothly enough — your account is already authenticated — but it is not the deeper, fully integrated checkout flow some might expect.

The move is similar to how some platform holders work around mobile store policies about in-app payments. By routing to the web, Nintendo can keep its checkout system in place, avoid complicating things with duplicate payments, and keep the app fast. It is also the exact system players have used for years through Safari or Chrome; the app simply eliminates opening a separate browser.

That said, future in-app purchases could help make the experience feel a little more seamless — especially for preorders and for promotions with limited-time availability. For now, the web handoff is a pragmatic concession that keeps the storefront consistent across both iOS and Android.

Deep Play History Insights with Daily Session Breakdowns

A surprise star feature is a detailed, granular play history tracker. After signing in, you can see your total hours for each title and dig into daily activity with play times per session. That level of specificity is more information than Nintendo has ever given in this type of roundup before, and it is genuinely useful for parents tracking screen time, completionists monitoring progress, or anyone else wondering what a giant, sprawling RPG actually looks like against the backdrop of their week.

It is also one of the few instances where Nintendo is ahead of rivals in how data are presented. PlayStation and Xbox offer robust time-played summaries, but it feels more accessible to see day-by-day breakdowns in a mobile-native view designed for reflective tracking of play. As with all usage data, clear controls around privacy and data retention will be important, and players should be able to expect opt-in prompts as well as account-level settings for who gets to see what.

How It Compares to Other Console Apps from Sony and Microsoft

PlayStation’s and Xbox’s apps have raised the stakes with native cart checkout, remote downloads, social features, and fast account management. Nintendo’s Store app handles the basics — browsing, wishlisting, buying via the web — while pushing social and online features over to the separate Nintendo Switch Online app.

That division may be perfectly acceptable to many Switch users: Store for discovery and buying, Switch Online for voice chat and game-specific services. If Nintendo bundles notifications from across its apps — say pricing alerts, preorder unlocks, and account-related messages — the prospect could catch up rapidly in terms of day-to-day usefulness.

Why This Move Matters for Discovery, Sales, and the Next Console

Mobile is where discovery happens. Research companies such as Sensor Tower and Data.ai have shown that product discovery and transaction intent typically begin on smartphones, even when the purchase eventually happens elsewhere. On Nintendo’s side, a first-party app that shortens the path from “I saw a sale” to “I added it to my wishlist” raises conversion without altering anything about how the eShop itself works.

It also sets up Nintendo for the next hardware cycle. A slick, cross-platform mobile store provides the company with a channel to message launches and push timely promotions, while doing enough to keep people coming back even if they’re not actively playing. Industry trackers like Circana have observed steady growth in digital sell-through on consoles; providing fans with a cleaner mobile gateway is an obvious conduit to capture some of that growth.

What to Watch Next for Features, Alerts, and Parental Controls

Three investments that would significantly improve the app:

• True in-app checkout.
• Smarter alerts for wishlist discounts and preloads (auto-download updates so games are ready as soon as possible).
• Tighter integration with parental controls for playtime reporting.

When that functionality comes down the pike, the Nintendo Store app may well be justified as an everyday companion and not just a smart browser bookmark with fantastic stats.

It is a welcome, overdue addition even in its current form, though. Switch players finally get an official, mobile-native way to browse and buy — as well as a surprisingly rich insight into how they actually play. It is that combination that makes this more than just a simple wrapper for games — it is something Nintendo can build on.