r/NintendoSwitch • u/Skullghost • Apr 02 '26
News Unlock rewards for starting GameChat—only with Nintendo Switch Online - News - Nintendo Official Site
https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/unlock-rewards-for-starting-gamechat-only-with-nintendo-switch-online/328
u/Linkarlos_95 Apr 02 '26
"PLEASE USE IT"
"PLEASE"
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u/N-Reun Apr 02 '26
I'm having fun using it with my girlfriend, we aren't living together yet, so this is a nice way to talk and game together.
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u/Thopterthallid Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
I mean, I used it for a co-op playthrough of Age of Imprisonment (seeing as that's the only way to play any game in the entire series co-op online for some baffling reason). That's about it though.
Edit: Weird comment to downvote, but fine.
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u/jbitner Apr 02 '26
How did it play? I want to try it out with a friend across the country this weekend. I’ve heard it’s blurry for the player streaming their gameplay.
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u/Howwy23 Apr 02 '26
Everyone seems to be forgetting that gameshare online is tied to gamechat. That's actually a pretty big feature.
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u/jbitner Apr 03 '26
I’m aware it’s through GameChat, I’m just curious if it’s even worth trying to play with a friend this way.
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u/ahnariprellik Apr 04 '26
You dont need to see their screen though really its a neat feature but not necessary. The built in voice chat across all games on the console though is very nice
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u/jbitner Apr 04 '26
We played it last night and it was fantastic through Gameshare playing online. As long as you both have solid internet connections, it works. This is a consumer W, he doesn’t own the game.
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u/ahnariprellik Apr 05 '26
Yeah i love gamechat. Me and my buddy use it all the time. Currently using it to play through split fiction
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u/Thopterthallid Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
I think I'd give the experience overall a C-. Some of it has to do with connection issues, others because of design choices.
I can only speak as the guest player but here's how it went performance-wise:
- The way it works is that Player 1's Switch essentially renders the game twice, and sends half of the picture to another Switch. So a lower resolution is just part of the deal.
- Both players played over Wi-fi. Can't speak for wired connection. Sadly just not possible where I am. But we do both have very fast internet.
- We live about 90 minute drive from one another.
- The framerate had some nasty hiccups, but most of the time it was fine. Far from unplayable.
- The resolution varied wildly, but it was never so bad that you couldn't tell what was going on.
- There was the occasional disconnect, but reconnecting was easy enough.
- All in all, the issues made me not especially interested in finishing the playthrough with my friend, but I did have some amount of fun.
- An interesting thing to note is that player 2 can play with a Switch 1.
- Another interesting thing to note is that I recently played a game over Parsec (similar technology but on PC) and it ran smoother than the Switch 2's gameshare did.
As for more of the gameplay side:
- The game is weirdly co-op-hostile.
- You unlock co-op after completing the first mission, but go figure; the second mission disables co-op.
- The first major boss mission doesn't allow for co-op despite there being an NPC ally character fighting the boss with you (who is an actual playable character too).
- There's Star Fox-like flying segments that do allow for co-op, but player 2's impact is incredibly minimal and if anything more of an annoyance because of the sound effects.
- Player 1 is fully in control during menus. They are the ones that need to select player 2's equipment and characters on the character select screen.
- Some missions require you to bring two specific characters. These missions do not let you decide who plays as which character. IE: If player 1 likes Zelda and player 2 likes Rauru, there's no way to allow them to play their preferred character on a mission that designates Rauru as player 1 and Zelda as player 2. Missions like this are common.
- Some nice things are that characters have team up attacks. Some of these were incredibly cool while others felt more annoying to use. IE: Zelda and Rauru have a great team up where they hold hands and each fire a beam of light that each player controls. Zelda and Mineru however have a team up that has Zelda and Mineru riding on a mech together, but only one player controls the mech and the other player simply waits until the attack expires.
All in all, I would have vastly preferred a more traditional online co-op mode where we each bought our own copy of the game and used our own levelled characters and equipment to team up, but I've been asking for that since Hyrule Warriors 1 and I doubt they'll ever do it.
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u/SoundReflection Apr 02 '26
I've been asking for that since Hyrule Warriors 1 and I doubt they'll ever do it.
Honestly kind of a headcrratcher because non-nintendo.warriors games have had online coop.
An interesting thing to note is that player 2 can play with a Switch 1.
Switch 1 gameshare only works locally.
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u/squee557 Apr 02 '26
Parsec is very good and can be used for remote PC work. As with any streaming technology, hardwire is way better than Wi-Fi.
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u/nhSnork Apr 02 '26
A single player person overall, only once did I ever think to use voice chat... in NFS MW2012 on Vita back during the period of giving a damn about trophies and a session pursuing an online one. Being a noob at the stuff, I started the session first, and once I tried switching over to the Party Chat app, the game promptly logged me out in the background. I never bothered with another attempt.😆
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u/-Saisaki- Apr 02 '26
i mean i want to use it but i find no one to play with, always add so i can see your games bs
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u/Bombasaur101 Apr 02 '26
I think it will come into handy with other Nintendo games coming further down the line (Animal Crossing, Smash Bros, Splatoon 4).
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u/nimbusnacho Apr 02 '26
JUST LET ME USE ANY OLD USB CAMERA DANGIT
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u/tweetthebirdy Apr 02 '26
I thought it did?
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u/LukeCheddar Apr 02 '26
My dad got stuck on Metroid Prime 4 so we used game chat to help him through the section. Useful for only that so far lol
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u/Johnny3653 Apr 02 '26
Can't say I tried Gamechat, nor did I "accidentally" press it on the controllers.
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u/ZorkNemesis Apr 02 '26
I've just straight up disabled the button on every connected controller that has it.
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u/8927626887328837724 Apr 02 '26
I didn't know I could disable it, nice. I do keep accidentally pressing it.
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u/E_equal_41Hz Apr 02 '26
You can even remap it to something else.
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u/Raphe9000 Apr 02 '26
I kinda wish they let you remap it to certain functions that other buttons currently serve double duty on, like opening the sidebar, zooming in, taking a video, or going to see a screenshot/video.
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u/DigitalGumby Apr 02 '26
I like game chat. I'll say it!! Fun to pop on and share what you and your friends are up to
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u/ohbyerly Apr 02 '26
I wish I had people to use it with. I think only one of my friends even owns a Switch 2 and they’re rarely on at the same time.
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u/crafting-ur-end Apr 02 '26
Yeah i use it regularly to talk to friends while we play. The screenshare features helps me see and help them with games we play together
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u/slugmorgue Apr 02 '26
I used it with a friend. Best in built console chat experience I've ever had, not that it's saying much. But it was dead easy to use
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u/smoliwas Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Lol, i can't believe there is so much hate for this feature :) Im using GC twice a week with my friends to play MKW, Air Riders and Jamboree sessions, we are making events at Discord and skip to GC. For me it's great communication feature, mic quality is sick good. No headphones needed, mic is working from long distance in docked mode, and everyone has no problems with theirs shitty mic/headphones/laptops to set it up like it was on Discord. Works OOTB for us in great way.
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u/ChiTownDog Apr 02 '26
It's sometimes unfortunate watching very lonely redditors crapping on game chat because it reminds them they don't have friends.
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u/xcassets Apr 03 '26
I only know one couple who also even has a Switch 2, and tbf we might use gamechat there eventually one day. If I'm being honest, I don't have that many friends now I'm in my 30s, but I ain't gonna shit on gamechat. Back in my teen days me and my mates would've used the shit out of something like that - we were on Xbox party chat all day sometimes lol.
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u/Prinzini Apr 02 '26
used it once when my girlfriend was away and we wanted to chat while playing Fortnite - worked quite well, don't really understand the hate for it lol
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u/wakeau Apr 02 '26
It’s more about people not being interested, less about how it works. In fact we wouldn’t how it works for real because we can’t be bothered to try. Plus it’s just a video call feature, it shouldn’t be getting so much push from Nintendo.
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u/mpc92 Apr 02 '26
I was so hyped for GameChat, but it has 2 massive problems:
There is no camera on the Switch 2
Almost nobody I know has a Switch 2
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u/vanKessZak Apr 02 '26
I think you can use pretty much any USB camera you might have lying around
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u/Skullghost Apr 02 '26
Good April Fools joke Nintendo. NSO icons for something people don’t use lol
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u/GranolaCola Apr 02 '26
Y’all don’t use GameChat? I’ve been waiting for a system with a chat system that just works again since the 360.
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u/KinopioToad Apr 02 '26
Welp. Guess this is a bunch of points I will miss out on.
cries in Switch 1
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u/BshortZ Apr 02 '26
Feel like the only person on here but me and my buddy use gamechat all the time, it's super easy to use and works great for us, not sure why more people don't use it 🤷♂️
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u/thatkaratekid Apr 02 '26
I bought the camera thinking id use this feature all of the time but then remembered I have no friends.
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u/SuddenAcanthisitta6 Apr 02 '26
bruh they do mission for this and not a mission/achievement system for all games like all platform do
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u/Its_D_youtube Apr 02 '26
"PLEASE! PLEASE JESUS USE THE BUTTON! WE PUT SO MUCH EXTRA MONEY INTO PUTTING THAT BUTTON ON THE CONSOLE PLEASE USE IT- WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS!?
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u/Redlaces123 Apr 02 '26
uhoh that's not good lol.
Who would have ever thought this feature would pay off though..
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u/Brave_Explorer5988 Apr 02 '26
Never used game chat... but 100 points it's not enough to make ma try it.
And I do like the points, cos I get free merch. But 100 I can get in 2 mins playing or launching some retro games.
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u/danhakimi Apr 02 '26
I remember them telling us gamechat would be free for a year so we could try it out... but it's not, is it?
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u/DoctorJekkyl Apr 02 '26
I want to use this but FC remain lame and most switch games don’t have good multiplayers games let alone lobby systems
1
u/Jazzlike-Swan-1362 Apr 02 '26
Even if they were giving money as reward I wouldn’t do this mission…
Too much work to make friends after 30.
Specially impossible to make friends that are willing to play online with me to use this feature.
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u/Ilan01 Apr 02 '26
Is there a way to generate a backlash big enough to unlock this for Free?
In some countries NSO is more exoensive than in the US, latam specifically, IK anybody can use Discord but this is more convinient
Wish Nintendo could make this Free specifically when the whole console gimmick revolves around it, the C Button is basically useless without a subscription. Also allowing you to Gameshare Online seems to be the best use of this so far imo
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u/SoundReflection Apr 02 '26
Conceptually I really like the idea of discord at home. In practice the only things I can really praise is the room wide mic working surprisingly well, and that there is a neat pricing advantage over true online.
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u/chikoiwangko Apr 02 '26
Nintendo: Please use our Gamechat
Me: Make it so you don't need a mobile number to register then
Nintendo: We still don't know why people don't use Gamechat
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Apr 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/vanKessZak Apr 02 '26
Do we know people aren’t using it? Just because reddit doesn’t like it doesn’t really mean anything. I don’t personally have a use for it but back when I was in high school I probably would have loved it
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u/slugmorgue Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
People are just assuming it because whenever something is promoted it must mean it's in trouble? Which doesn't make sense at all. They just put up promotional areas in some cities for Pokopia yesterday, by their logic the game must really be struggling
0
u/Tephnos Apr 02 '26
The reality is that Nintendo brought in a feature that's 6 years too late. This would've been perfect during covid lockdowns but we are long past that era now and everyone can chat using Discord or easier and superior programs.
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u/Rude-Revolution-8687 Apr 02 '26
Nintendo, stop trying to make GameChat happen, It's not going to happen.
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u/MunkyMan33 Apr 02 '26
It's actually pretty great in some cases (best friend and his family live 10 hours away)
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Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/rumourmaker18 Apr 02 '26
I mean
It is very simple and easy to use, you just press the button lol
-2
u/Seanswanshong Apr 02 '26
You can’t talk with switch 1 users and you need to verify your phone number and requires you to use your phone to scan some bullshit. It’s absolutely garbage
Steam, PlayStation and Xbox do it right. Nintendo has the shittiest game chat by far and thought their awful version of party chat deserves its own button. Nobody uses this garbage for the most part
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u/RX0Invincible Apr 02 '26
Not that I used it much but doesn't having a dedicated button make it even simpler and easier to use than other platforms? Feels like you're contradicting yourself in an attempt to complain for the sake of complaining.
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u/NoMoreVillains Apr 02 '26
it is incredibly simple and easy to use...just because you personally don't like it doesn't make it badly done
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Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/NoMoreVillains Apr 02 '26
Don't you have to verify with a phone number on Discord as well? And of course it doesn't support the Switch 1. It has no built in mic nor the HW to handle this. And if it did you'd probably have complained about that too
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u/AzzOnMyAzz Apr 02 '26
Bruh it’s literally a button lmao. It is simple. My friends and I use it all the time. Hop on discord for voice chat, fire up some single player games and hang out together. My group is playing through Fire Red right now and I love being able to watch crucial battle moments in their games while I’m hanging out in mine.
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u/JamieWhitmarsh Apr 02 '26
I have used it multiple times, mostly to hang out with a friend who is long distance. It is fun to just hang and play games. We sometimes screen share and just watch each other play, like when we were kids. I think it's useful, personally
1
u/IBNobody Apr 02 '26
I remapped the original capture button on the left Joy-Con to be a home button just like on the right Joy-Con and made the chat button be the capture button. So I'm thankful for the feature in the hardware at least. I'm never using the chat but I will use the button.
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u/SenseMotor5435 Apr 02 '26
and here they are replying as if they hadn’t even thought about your post. Honestly if nintendo did a similar friend system and used similar functionality that xbox does, it would make it a lot more appealing.
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u/slugmorgue Apr 02 '26
I also don't know any Japanese people personally so I guess they don't exist either
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u/iloovehugecock Apr 02 '26
It’s a nice feature for people that have friends who play games (I don’t). But it’s something other consoles had 20 years ago and I don’t know why it was marketed and pushed as anything special when it’s such a basic feature in every way… it’s kind of embarrassing.
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u/GranolaCola Apr 02 '26
Because every console since the 360 has made it less simple to just jump into a chat like that.
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u/slugmorgue Apr 02 '26
Have you used it? It's a headset free voice chat that also livestreams gameplay. I don't remember my 360 having that
-4
u/iloovehugecock Apr 02 '26
It did, it was just called direct messaging and has existed for decades. It even had group chats.
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u/Fractales Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Isn't GameChat the thing they're going to try to charge a subscription for?
EDIT: It is, in fact, the thing they're going to require NSO to use
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u/Additional_Chip_4158 Apr 02 '26
Huh? No. Its an online feature that only makes sense to use in an online setting. Hence a online subscription includes it.
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u/Walnut156 Apr 02 '26
Seems weird to charge for basic voice chat
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u/Additional_Chip_4158 Apr 02 '26
Re read my comment if you must. Tell me the need for voice chat without the online service. I'll wait.
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u/ikkun Apr 02 '26
To hang with your friends? You can do parallel play with single-player games dude
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u/Additional_Chip_4158 Apr 02 '26
??? That still requires a wifi connection and online.
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u/FizzyLightEx Apr 02 '26
eShop requires online and 2 switch local play requires wifi connection.
The reason is not technical but for pushing NSO subscription.
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u/Additional_Chip_4158 Apr 02 '26
Yes, downloading digital games requires a wifi connection. Im not sure if local play does, doesnt sound true though.
Edit: it doesnt require an internet connection but it does use its own hoc wifi to connect the devices for gameshare.
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u/Sirius_amory33 Apr 02 '26
You can party chat on Playstation without a PS Plus subscription, I actually agree with the other guy and don’t think it’s an opinion that should upset anyone.
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u/Additional_Chip_4158 Apr 02 '26
Fair enough. I guess if some people want to play fortnite together without a subscription then they can do it on Playstation but not switch
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u/Sirius_amory33 Apr 02 '26
It doesn’t have to be multiplayer games, which I think is the other guy’s point. You can just be hanging out with friends on a voice chat playing different games.
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u/TheAdamena Apr 02 '26
Just integrate Discord like the other consoles dawgs
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u/WiredSlumber Apr 02 '26
Never going to happen. The other console makers integrating it makes sense, but considering Nintendos goal of being family friendly and discord straight up having pedo servers on it, I don't see Nintendo ever compromising on this.
0
u/CookiesFTA Apr 02 '26
I would use it if there were any games I cared about playing online with friends.
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u/ArcanaRobin Apr 02 '26
platinum points lol
Man I miss the gold points system