Happy Switch 2 Day everyone. Nintendo is holding its Switch 2 Direct showcase right now, and one of the first big reveals the company announced has cleared up the mystery of the consoleâs new âCâ button on the right Joy-Con. It stands for âChat.â Nintendo is finally bringing native voice chat to one of its consoles.
The new Game Chat system is bringing voice and video chat to the Switch 2, and will require a Nintendo Switch Membership to use. However, Nintendo will be offering the feature without a membership until March 31, 2026. Game Chat will let you talk to your friends regardless of if youâre playing the same game or not. Nintendo will also be releasing a Switch 2 camera for video chat that will launch on the same day as the system. It also supports screensharing, such that you and your friends can all see each otherâs gameplay. In the Direct presentation, the friends used this to observe a friend and offer advice as they were struggling to navigate part of Mario Kart World
At this point in the presentation, Nintendo hasnât confirmed a release date for the system, and is just saying games and peripherals will launch âon the same dayâ as the console later this year. Thatâs annoying, but theyâre probably waiting to drop the date and price until the end of the presentation.
This is a pretty big deal because Nintendo has made player-to-player communication a pain in the ass. The Switch had a mobile app you could use to chat, but thatâs not anywhere near as convenient as being able to chat directly through the console.
Youâre reading part of Kotakuâs ongoing coverage of the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct. Check our roundup for more news from the showcase including launch games, pricing information, release date, pre-order information, and what that mysterious C button Nintendo keeps teasing actually does
Weâll be continuing to update stories with news and analysis throughout the day as Nintendo pulls back the curtain on its most anticipated console launch ever. You can find more details about todayâs Switch 2 Direct and Nintendo online Treehouse Live demos going on throughout the week here
