Nintendo is finally bringing cloud saves to Switch, but it'll cost you

While it's generally a console beloved by those fortunate enough to own one, the Nintendo Switch has always had a glaring flaw in its lack of save data backup options. Basically, if your Switch dies, so does that Breath of the Wild save file you've sunken hundreds of hours into.

Thankfully, that won't be the case for long, as the house that Mario built has officially revealed that 'Save Data Cloud Backup' functionality is coming to the console as part of its long-awaited Nintendo Switch Online service. Yes, that means you'll have to subscribe in order to back your games up.

Expected to launch in September 2018, the paid service will be available in three pricing tiers for individual users: $3.99 (around £3.10/AU$5.33) for one month, $7.99 (around £6.20/AU$10.80) for three months and $19.99 (around £15.50/AU$27) for 12 months.

Nintendo will also be offering a 12-month family membership for $34.99 (around £25.80/AU$46.65), allowing for up to seven family members to use the same subscription.

Along with the ability to backup your save games to the cloud and play your Switch games online, the Nintendo Online Service will provide subscribers with access to 20 NES classics, each sporting online functionality for the first time ever.

The Switch Online app for iOS and Android, which allows players to voice chat while playing Splatoon 2 and access SplatNet 2, will remain free until the service officially launches.