The button, present on the right Joy-Con directly below the home button, is square and marked with a “C.” The mysterious new button was shown briefly in the video debuting the Switch back in February and was present in every mock-up and leak of the console. In the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo finally revealed the purpose of the button, a new feature called GameChat.
As its name implies, GameChat enables Switch 2 players to communicate using the console’s built-in microphone. Nintendo noted how the Switch 2’s microphone will feature background noise filtering to ensure that GameChat calls come through clearly. And in addition to giving people a way to talk directly to one another, GameChat also features screen sharing functionality that will allow you to broadcast your gaming to friends on group calls. Notably, you will not have to be playing the same game while using GameChat, meaning that people within a call will be able to play and screen-share different titles simultaneously.
The GameChat feature represents a major step forward in Nintendo’s social gaming offerings. Of the three major manufacturers, Nintendo was the only one that did not have a way for players to communicate with their friends via the console. Shortly after the launch of the original Switch, Nintendo released a mobile app that let users participate in voice chat for select games, but it’s awkward to use an app for a feature that comes standard in other consoles.
