Nintendo puts first-party trailers on Today app

Nintendo has begun premiering first-party trailers on its Nintendo Today mobile app. Titles that appeared first on the app include Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Mario Wonder — Switch 2 Edition, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, and the first public reveal of Splatoon Raiders, which reached the app without an accompanying Direct showcase. The Nintendo Today app launched in March 2025.

Several recent clips appeared on the app before being posted on other channels. Nintendo continues to host traditional Direct broadcasts, Partner Directs and Indie World showcases while also using the Today app to publish individual trailers and updates.

The app lets Nintendo publish single trailers with lower production demands than a full broadcast and send mobile notifications to users. Those features allow the company to release items individually and bring them directly to app users.

Reviews Editor Ollie Reynolds argued smaller, more frequent announcements via the app can keep Nintendo in the conversation and suggested a schedule with one or two large Directs per year for major reveals and the Today app for shorter updates.

Editor Gavin Lane wrote that he still values the spectacle of a full Direct but finds “little and often” announcements easier to manage from a news-production perspective and better at giving individual titles attention.

Deputy Editor Alana Hagues wrote she continues to watch Directs live and observed that surprise drops on the app create quick, shareable moments for players who receive notifications. Features Editor Jim Norman added that shorter app announcements make him more likely to pay attention to items that might be overlooked in a longer presentation.

Marketing analysts who track platform-holder campaigns note many publishers use surprise drops and social channels to pace news. For Nintendo, the Today app provides a direct channel to users and the ability to space promotional content across the year.

Player and industry reactions to the app-first pattern vary, with some expressing nostalgia for full Direct watch parties and others preferring smaller, more frequent reveals.