Twitch is now on Switch

Starting today, Twitch fans with Switches can watch their favourite livestreamers directly from Nintendo's console, courtesy of the official Twitch app which is available now on eShop.

If you've used Twitch on any other device, you should be right at home with the new Switch version. It's available in both docked and handheld modes and functions pretty much exactly as you'd expect it to, enabling users to sign in and access their followed channels or browse and search for content of interest.

Unsurprisingly, it's not possible to stream from Switch, and there's one additional constraint in that the app won't display chat while watching a stream, regardless of whether being viewed in docked or handheld modes. Instead, those wishing to read or post to chat while a stream plays will need to scan a QR code to do so via their phone. Needless to say, it works pretty well when watching on the big screen, but starts to feel a little awkward in handheld mode.

Implementation quibbles aside, the new Twitch app is a welcome addition to Switch, which continues to have an extremely limited number of streaming options four years after launch. Depending on your location, it's now the fourth streaming service to come to the console, joining YouTube, Hulu, and Funimation.