Nintendo adding new friending methods for the Switch, post launch

This morning, an update for Nintendo’s Switch console added friend codes as a way two people who have never played together become friends on the console.

But it turns out that while friend codes remain a method to add friends, Nintendo continues to minimize how often you might be using that 12-number code.

I’ll give you a moment to stop clapping and running around in circles in joy.

Dave Tach

Reached for comment this morning, a representative for Nintendo told Polygon that additional ways to add friends will be coming to the console, including using social networking, in-game menus and the much easier-to-remember Nintendo Network ID.

The Nintendo Network ID is the name a user selects to connect to their account, which effectively could entirely replace the friend code.

Here’s the full statement from Nintendo:

Several methods can be used to add friends as quickly and easily as possible: · By linking Nintendo Switch to your Nintendo Account, your friends from Miitomo and Super Mario Run will appear as friend candidates so you can easily send them a friend request. Also, we are planning it so that friends from social networking services will be listed as candidates, too.

In the future, you will be able to send a friend request to friends associated with your NNID (Wii U/Miiverse) and Nintendo 3DS.

In some games you will be able to use an in-game interface to send friend requests.

You can send friend requests to those who have played with you recently.

You can establish a friend through local wireless communication.

You can also send a friend request by using a friend code.

We’ve asked if that means that at some point Friend Codes will be completely done away with, and also what the timing is on these new ways to make Switch friends. The rep said they were looking into it and would let us know what they find out.

We’ve also asked for clarification on what Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime meant when he told Cnet earlier this year that “there are no friend codes within what we are doing.”

We’ll update this story when we hear more.

The Nintendo Switch goes on sale tomorrow. You can read our review of the Switch right here, and our review of the system’s first must-have game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, right here.