Nintendo’s secret playtest remains a mystery to fans as 10k players sign up within seconds

IT seems that whatever Nintendo does, it’s bound to be a roaring success as just the mention of Mario will see players’ ears prick up.

We saw this recently when Nintendo announced a new piece of hardware after months of teasing more information about the Switch 2.

Despite people’s obvious disappointment that it was an alarm clock that plays gunfire as you wake up rather than a Switch successor, the Alarmo still sold out in minutes.

It’s not the only Nintendo product that disappeared within moments of its release as Nintendo’s latest sign-up also filled up fast.

Nintendo recently announced a mystery Switch playtest that would allow up to 10k Nintendo fans a chance to play new software before it is released.

While there was little information about what the playtest would include, people were still eager to get involved.

The one catch is that participants had to be subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service before the playtests announcement was made.

This was to prevent people from subscribing specifically so that they could take part in the playtest.

The requirement also means that there is a greater chance to prevent bots from signing up before real people have a chance to register.

Despite the restrictions put in place, thousands still missed out on the opportunity to enter the playtest.

All 10k places were allocated within seconds of the registration opening, with most players not even getting a chance to participate.

Those who were successful in signing up reported that following admittance to the playtest programme they were told that the download would be 2.2GB.

This has led many Nintendo fans to question what exactly they will be downloading for the test.

As the playtest is only for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack users, many believed that it would be new software to be included with the premium subscription.

However, it is unlikely to be a DLC pack for an existing game, like those for Mario Kart 8 or Animal Crossing, as it did not ask participants if they own a particular game.

The leading theory is that it is a test for GameCube games which could be added to the subscription service in the future.

If you want to read more about Nintendo, check out the latest games with Nintendo Switch Online.