Crunchyroll App on Nintendo Switch Shuts Down on October 30
Support for the Crunchyroll app on Nintendo Switch is ending. According to the official announcement, the app will be shut down on October 30, 2026, and after that date, access to Crunchyroll content via Switch will no longer be possible. The decision covers both the removal of the app from the store and the complete termination of the service for existing users.
The app actually arrived quite late for the Switch. Crunchyroll released its official app for Nintendo's hybrid console in February 2022. At the time, it was notable for being one of the platform's limited number of video apps, alongside YouTube, Hulu, and Funimation. However, the app never offered a truly seamless experience; user complaints about interface performance and video quality frequently came up. Now, the fact that Crunchyroll never released an app for the Nintendo Switch 2, which launched on June 5, 2025, suggests this decision has been expected for some time.
On Nintendo's side, video streaming apps have never been a priority. The Switch has been positioned more as a gaming console than a media device, and even major platforms like Netflix never came to the console. With Crunchyroll's departure, the number of official video apps remaining on the Switch is decreasing once again. Currently, the main apps still active on the platform are limited to YouTube and Hulu (US region only). This will directly affect a small but loyal audience that uses the Switch to watch anime.
So what will Switch owners do? Users with a Crunchyroll subscription can continue to access their accounts via smart TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, mobile devices, and web browsers. In other words, subscriptions and watchlists are not disappearing; only one of the viewing platforms is being removed. Nintendo has not yet announced a new video app strategy for the Switch 2, but given the new console's more powerful hardware and improved eShop infrastructure, the possibility of Crunchyroll returning in the future with an optimized app specifically for Switch 2 is entirely on the table. Until then, anime fans will need to turn to their TV or phone screens.
