Nintendo is launching a special camera accessory for the Switch 2 that will let you host video chats with your Switch friends. Simply called the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, it’s a camera on a stand designed to sit near you as you play. It will cost $49.99 when it launches on June 5th, the same day as the Switch 2.
You can use the new camera with GameChat, Nintendo’s new in-game chat system that lets you connect with friends online by pressing the new “C” button. During the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo showed off a couple of different ways to use the camera. Your face can appear as an overlay on top of the game you’re playing, or it can show a video feed only.
The camera plugs into the Switch 2’s extra USB-C port on the top of the device. You can use it TV, tabletop, or handheld mode. Nintendo says the camera’s adjustable wide-angle lens can capture groups of people in one shot, while a “high-sensitivity image sensor” automatically tweaks the brightness level. It also has a privacy shutter to cover the lens when you’re not using the Switch 2.
Some games, like the upgraded Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, will take advantage of the camera by letting you see your friends’ faces while you play. Some minigames use the camera as well, where you’ll hit blocks and try to balance Goombas on your head.
If you don’t want to spend the extra $49.99 for the camera, the fine print on Nintendo’s accessories page says you can also use a “compatible USB-C webcam” for video chats, too.
Update, April 2nd: Added more details about the Switch 2 Camera.
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