Video: Right, We Need To Talk About GameChat On Switch 2

My brother and I use it every time we play together online. It's simple, fast and easy to set up. MUCH better than the PS5's clunky interface that requires lots of button presses and menus. It's great.

"We need to talk about GameChat on Switch 2"

Nah, I have no use for it as I play mostly local coop on switch 2. If I play online with friends it's on pc via discord. That being said its good to see nintendo joining the modern times..... kinda

We used it the first day to mess with it a bit. A room full of 6 people, two with camera (one being me!), and just playing Mario Kart together and trying other games separately yielded surprisingly delightful results.

Just playing games together, everyone on the same page, no one needed computers or phones or anything other than their systems was wonderful. In fact, while playing the same game is great, there is an undeniable charm in simply hanging out, playing their own games, but all together.

Just a great way to hang with friends. 💚

My friends and I all love game chat. They did a great job with it.

I checked my GameChat a few days ago and, out of a dozen or so of my friends list who have a Switch 2, only 4 of them had bothered to set it up. Which means the others likely haven't so much as touched the C button yet to see what's going on. It's not a great sign. There needs to be a game that benefits from it, like Metroid Prime 4 having an online mode.

It’s the biggest surprise of the console for me considering that I wrote it off completely as something I wouldn’t care about. It’s so seamless and works great even when docked, been using it a ton with family and friends.

I just hope it’ll extend to random match ups in games in the future. To market voice chat as a big new feature only to not use it extensively in Mario Kart World is shocking.

Not checked it out, the need for phone number verification means I most likely never will.

This is a feature I will never use. At least it's okay for those who will use it consistently

@Birdgas Love this. I feel like that’s kinda what they’re trying to get at with GameChat. Hang out, have some laughs with pals, enjoy life.

I would be using this a lot but unfortunately the few friends that upgraded haven’t even set it up yet. They just use discord. It’s a nice move from Nintendo that will only improve over time. I just hope we get more camera based games in the future so my purchase is justified 😅

I used it last night and it was really good. Played online with a buddy in Mario Kart. My only mistake was not creating a room with more of my friends! Lol

Haven't watched the video yet. But this is great; thanks for writing an article like this. Helps to temper some of the negativity. I'd love to use it, but I don't think I know anyone that will.

Does "GameChat" (or something like it anyway) work in local couch multiplayer and/or with games that support wireless local multiplayer (and/or GameShare)?

As in, can one simply turn the camera on and the Switch 2 will track up to four faces in the room or is this strictly limited to online games and/or also supported locally but on a game-by-game basis?

I'm curious as to the extent to which the camera is supported by the OS and/or any currently available software, because if it can be used with virtually anything (even locally), then it's a real game-changer.

I’d prefer the 2 extra cores (25% of the 8) game chat uses to power the games.

I haven't tried it out because I still haven't felt any need for it, but never say never. Speaking on camera tho... Man only the thought of it feels like I'm at some online meeting for work, and I already had enough of those.

I’ve not bothered with it yet, need a good co-op game to use it with I think.

I have had a lot of fun with it. Especially with games like mario kart.

Honestly it looks great. If I were ever in the mindset of wanting my chill time to be interrupted by talking and other people, this would be the way.

I think overall it is a plus. It is easy and it works, also it is optional

@MrGawain #16

I’d prefer the 2 extra cores (25% of the 8) game chat uses to power the games.

does GameChat really use 2 cores ? or is one of those reserved for the system UI

I wanted to see Felix's kitchen

@Baker1000 That's not true, I'm sure they've touched the C button quite often BY MISTAKE WHEN TRYING TO PUSH THE HOME BUTTON IT'S INFURIATING WHY IS IT THERE?

Unfortunately I am from a country where I can't link a phone number. Gamechat will be closed for me forever.

We use it whenever we play online with friends. Don't need the camera all the time, but having the voice chat easily accessible is great. Super convenient and glad it's an option now.

@jco83 : Would be nice if we could have the option to turn it off for that purpose, along with the ability to capture videos, which would also put a strain on the system (and battery!) whether you intend to ever use it or not.

Love the implementation. It does phenomenally well at cancelling undue noise and just projecting voice even form people who have it coming from the dock. I love it

I love how unique it is, but it has a major drawback. I dislike the part where it makes the play area smaller just so it can house the boxes for other's being in the chat. Why? Maybe I'm stupid, but not being able to just make the play area full screen while still being able to chat is obnoxious.

@larryisaman "To market voice chat as a big new feature"

OK I'm a little brain dead these days. Is Gamechat just voice chat b/c I associate it with camera and I associate the camera w/ video b/c it's a camera. I would associate voice chat w/ a mic on the Pro controller b/c I feel like it should be. I don't need a camera, no-one sees me and I really don't need to see anyone. But if Gamechat means voice chat well yeah.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't think Nintendo is doing a good job of marketing all of this. I mean if we can voice chat w/o a camera but they want people to buy a camera sure be misleading, but I'm confused.

Voice chat- mic on controller
Video chat - camera
Gameshare- share the game
Gamechat - ???

I found my wives on GameChat.

Unless MKW players are a group chat it will not be overused.

@rjejr You don’t need a camera, no. Nobody I know has one. It’s just a very quick and easy way to invite people to chat, you don’t need a headset or anything because it uses the built in mic (even when docked and you’re sat far away from it it still works surprisingly well) and you can share a stream of what you’re playing if you want to.

I don’t need any of those Gamechat features for playing with randoms but at least let us use the mic to chat online with anyone. It’s not like they haven’t done it before with MK, you can use the Switch Online app and voice chat with random people in MK8D right now (if you can find anybody using it 🥴)

@N8tiveT3ch all of them at once?

@Unit_DTH go into settings, bottom right of the game chat screen. Enable full screen view. Takes 1 second once you know where it is

@SirLink wouldn't you like to know.

I’ve only used it once but it was a cool experience. I only played with one friend and we were each playing a different game but ended up chatting for quite a while

I re-mapped the GameChat button to be a screenshot button, instead, in the Switch 2 system settings.

I did this while using one of the joy con wheels and pressing it in error when I wanted to take a screenshot of the "Congratulations" screen, but it was not the correct joy con for said task. I frequently take screenshots when playing games, it's a timeline of sorts for me to look back on.

At least now both joy con have access to a screenshot button, so...there's that!

@SirLink Yeah, I thought I'd secured that room...

@larryisaman Thanks. If I have enough of these conversations with enough people it might finally make sense and sink in.

This is exactly what I needed!

I haven't used it. I don't have friends that I feel close enough to initiate it with. Why isn't a simple text message not a thing on Nintendo platforms. I might be interested in Gamechat if I could at least send a text message to say "hey, do you want to play Mario Kart together? Do you want to try out the Gamechat?"

I use it every time I play with my brothers. It's a quick and simple, and I dig not having to use a separate device or a head set.

I do wish you could full screen the game and have the names of who's talking show up in a transparent window on the side of the screen, like in Discord, but that's a small complaint.

I won't even accept the terms to check it out. The game chat is a feature I wish I didn't have to pay for as a part of the system.

I'm loving GameChat. I've tried it out with a couple people on NintendoLife, and it works great!

Personally I've been perusing NintendoLife long enough to feel more comfortable with anyone on here than someone random from a social like Reddit. I'm open to chatting with anyone if people want to exchange FC's!

Yeah, GameChat's awesome! The built-in mic is especially great for any online game that has voice chat, as it means I no longer need a headset when I play!

@TrixieSparkle I thought I was the only one that took screenshots of stuff to look back on.

The biggest problem is, I'm the only one in my circle with a S2.
I desperately want to use game chat, but I can't haha.

@cvrator I've seen a few people say that but personally I've had no issue with accidentally pressing the wrong one

My guess on the 3D chess here: Nintendo is competing with Roblox and Fortnite as much as with Sony and Xbox because kids are growing up now away from consoles. One reason is that it's the new playground and hangout. Many parents don't want their kids on Discord or to have smart phones, so this is a safe alternative. It's simple enough for kids or non-gaming parents to set up and allows for the flexibility of playing different games, suggesting that it's for hanging out and not so much just for gaming together with the same game.

@N8tiveT3ch absolutely! 😅

@N8tiveT3ch the fact it's plural suggests it's not the best place to hook up 🤣

I've been really eager to try it but, life has been too busy to play with friends. It feels like the answer to couch co-op as an adult!

However, once I saw that Donkey Kong can use the feature for co-op even with a Switch 1, I was sold. Such a cool feature!

Acid test: get Jon on a GameChat. One voice that carries? Let's try TWO.

@ToDaisy Same here!

It's a lot better than I expected, especially the TTS and the STT systems, that was an unexpected treat.

Why would it be popular? We know how it functions and some like myself wanted other gimmicks not a mouse pointer that I hate the positioning of, it's a mouse pointer, so I already don't care how it's repurposed, and a 100th way to socialise via Game Chat. So yeah, what was there to get excited for?

If games use it as another function sure, but like PS4 share button I hate it (I use it to record some things but socialising first mentality makes me mad and game design sucks so why would I want to record or talk to people? Devs/console makers are dumb). I'd rather use the touchpad in many ways even. I hate share buttons. I want inputs not socalising menus for the 100th implementation humanity. Give me tech first, not garbage we don't need.

Nintendo offering Tetris 99, Mario 35, F Zero 99 and more are fair retro attempts at live service games so to me those are fine to have. They aren't effecting the niche or popular Nintendo first party games at all compared to Sony or Microsoft or other third parties working with Nintendo or go to all platforms.

If the camera was like Playroom/Playlink (Everybody 1-2 Switch 10 years earlier and a whole range of games, Hidden Agenda is the best or that PS5 tactics RPG will be as well) on PS4 or Eye Toy like PS2 or PS Eye for PS3, or Singstar or Buzz or Labo anything else or something, interesting uses for AR or otherwise I'd be ok with it.

If it was good for dancing for say Just Dance, or VR or something interesting, I would maybe consider it or go that's cool and not use it but respect it.

But the Camera/Game Chat are pathetically boring of the recording/streaming angle and I have no interest in that at all.

A Recording feature for 30 seconds to PS/Xbox for a few minutes was fine enough. But doubling down on it. Come on. Nothing annoys me more then social features on Xbox One and cutting in 2017 the TV TV TV feature. Why because I liked Windows 8/Wii U so you bet I was NOT HAPPY about social features getting priority and OS changes over the years also removing it. I hate socialising being a factor over genuine tech ideas. You have 100s of ways to communicate. WHY!

This was the same I felt with the Share button on the Xbox Series after the greatness that was Impulse Triggers. You expect me to get excited over a button to a solution it solves as quick access. No, I don't get excited over that. Useful yes, but the ONLY thing to add to a controller, no.

Switch 2 Pro Controller with a mic port (like Wii U had and PS4/Xbox have had as well) sure that's fair for the third party Pro controllers programmable buttons angle too, it's not exciting but it's still good to have that I can respect it. I had considered the PS4 back button attachment but didn't bother. I have nothing against those and remapping buttons I think that's a great feature. But I would also like something more exciting too to allow games to do something gameplay exciting not just push other safe things instead.

I don't care about online gaming family, streaming, whatever, the games are already boring to play, if the gameplay was good sure but they aren't. Gimmicks make me care more, as gameplay is either good or bland. Most are bland so to me if gimmicks don't save it, what else is there for me to get excited for? Retro games that did great mechanics instead and not supporting the modern industry's boring direction.

@WaddleDee Thanks so much for the help!