Let’s get one thing straight right from the start: yes, I realize that voice chat in online console gaming has been feasible—and widely used—for over two decades. Nintendo is certainly lagging behind on this front.

That said, I had the chance to test the new Switch 2’s GameChat functionality at a recent event before the console launched on June 5, and I walked away quite impressed overall. I also spent six hours playing Mario Kart World, so it was definitely a great day.

While Nintendo hasn’t introduced anything groundbreaking, it has combined its trademark user-friendly design with the modern social interaction methods we see on platforms like Discord in 2025. With a dedicated button on every Switch 2 controller, a clean interface, and some thoughtful accessibility features (which is new territory for Nintendo), I think Switch players are really going to enjoy GameChat.

Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat preview: Nintendo enters the modern era

window.videoEmbeds = window.videoEmbeds || []; window.videoEmbeds.push({ elemId: 'video-container-fVjRBTy5irI', data: {"slug":"fVjRBTy5irI","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fVjRBTy5irI","start_time":""}, videoPlayerType: 'in-content' }); As initially detailed in the major Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation back in April, GameChat is Nintendo's take on something Xbox players have had access to since I was around 10 years old and playing Halo 2. Simply put, it’s a method to form voice chat groups for up to 12 Nintendo Switch Online users.

Take a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor. Nintendo is finally offering something similar to what Xbox Live users could do back in the early 2000s. Sarcasm aside, GameChat does have a couple of unique aspects that set it apart. One is that it’s instantly accessible anytime via a new “C” button on every Switch 2 controller. This makes it super easy to hop in and out of chat sessions without having to navigate menus or icons.

The interface is incredibly straightforward, which is a plus. There’s a button for creating a room, a button for joining an existing room (created by friends, not strangers), and some settings to tweak. It feels very Nintendo-like in its simplicity and ease of use.

Another standout feature of GameChat is its design around an open microphone integrated into the console itself. This was my main concern going into the demo; after all, some of us live in environments where noise complaints are an issue. I was also worried about potential interference with game audio or real-world sounds creeping into voice chats.

Granted, I was in a controlled setting arranged by Nintendo, and it was a noisy room with a lot happening. I have to say, though...it worked well. I could hear everyone clearly, and as far as I could tell, they could hear me without any issues. That said, I was informed that you can still connect a regular headset to the Switch 2 Pro Controller’s headphone jack and use it like you would on any other console. Personally, I’ll likely stick to that option.

It’s like Discord on your TV. Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat: Additional first impressions

There were a few other details I picked up during the demo. One is that you can stream a live feed of your gameplay to others in the GameChat room, and they can do the same for you. If you’ve seen any promotional footage of GameChat, you probably noticed that these video feeds are somewhat blurry and low-framerate. You can expand one to full-screen, but it’s not ideal. Instead, they sit horizontally at the bottom of the screen.

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I can confirm that they look this way in practice too, not just in marketing clips. I’m not sure how often I’ll use this feature, especially considering it reduces the space available for my gameplay. Still, it’s kind of nice to quickly glance and see what my friends are up to. Our demo involved playing through a co-op level in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for Game Boy Advance, and it was cool to know one of my teammates was in another room collecting Rupees without me needing to ask. This feature seems designed for those small cooperative moments.

I also noticed several neat customization options for GameChat. You can mute a friend’s video feed, resize your gameplay window, adjust individual users’ volume levels, and even play in a standard full-screen mode. What surprised me most was the inclusion of a speech-to-text window you can choose to display on-screen for users with hearing impairments. During the brief demo I got of this feature, it seemed fairly accurate at picking up what the demonstrator was saying and even labeled speakers in the text box.

Of course, everything might fall apart once it’s in the hands of regular users like my friends and me, beyond the ideal demo environment. I also expect parents will have a lot of questions regarding safety and GameChat’s parental controls. Still, I left my short session with GameChat feeling much more optimistic. The open-mic aspect worked better than anticipated, but I’m glad there’s an option to avoid it. Streaming gameplay does seem useful, albeit optional and reasonably customizable. And the inclusion of the speech-to-text window shows Nintendo is finally thinking more about accessibility.

In short, Nintendo put a lot more thought into GameChat than I anticipated. This is how people interact now, gamers and non-gamers alike, and Nintendo is catching up. At the very least, I’m looking forward to testing it in real-world scenarios.

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