The Nintendo Switch is getting its own version of Apple Care
Wide Care is a subscription-based repairs service, launching in Japan
Nintendo has announced a Switch repair service similar to the Apple Care program.
Earlier today on July 1, Nintendo's Japanese website was updated to add a brand new page for "Wide Care," a brand new service. This new initiative is basically a warranty repair service, where users can send off their Nintendo Switch consoles or other hardware for the company to fix.
The damage covered by the Nintendo Wide Care program includes damage due to dropping, water damage, and other natural failures. You can either pay 200 Yen ($1.48) a month for the service, or sign up for the entire year for the slightly reduced cost of 2,000 Yen ($14.75).
In total, members will be able to submit repairs worth up to 100,000 Yen (slightly less than $750) for Nintendo to fix per calendar year. The website actually lists the specific parts of a Nintendo Switch console that members can submit to have fixed, and the list includes the Nintendo Switch OLED screen, Joy Cons, the Nintendo Switch's CPU, and the Nintendo Switch Dock.
Right now, as you might've already guessed, this Nintendo Wide Care service is unfortunately limited exclusively to Japan. There's no indication as to whether the company could potentially launch the service in other regions around the world, but considering customers can already submit their Joy Cons for repair in Europe and North America, perhaps it's not too much of a stretch to imagine Wide Care arriving in those regions as an expansion of what already exists.
You can head over to our upcoming Switch games guide for a full look at everything coming to Nintendo's console over the coming weeks and months.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.