We were fortunate enough to be provided with a Nintendo Switch 2 package from Nintendo ANZ early this month, which featured the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle, a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, and the Nintendo Switch 2 camera. If you’d like to check out our unboxing video, you can do that here. This review will be a quick one, as we focus on the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera and what you can expect from it now that it’s available.

Designed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera comes with everything you need to connect it to your Nintendo Switch 2 – quite literally, the camera and a 1.5m USB Type-C cable. Of course, there’s also some paperwork in the box, such as a quickstart guide and the warranty information, but it really can’t get any simpler than plugging a USB cable into your Nintendo Switch 2 or the dock and positioning it in a way that it can capture your likeness.

The whole purpose of the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is to add your image to the GameChat experience. GameChat, for all intents and purposes, allows you to join a ‘party’ with your friends, but it can take things a step further by streaming your current game with them as well. Your game will take up the majority of your screen, while your friends appear as smaller screens underneath, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is used to add your video feed to the mix. 

It can also be used during party games by adding the camera above your avatar to make it easier to determine who is playing which character, and it does so in a very intelligent way. Using a combination of monitoring the controller’s location and facial recognition, the system can separate each player into their own video feed to be used next to their avatar.

Although it is quite small, taking up next to no space on your desk or bench, it is capable of producing an image in 1080p, so your likeness is broadcast with incredible clarity. Having a round base means it doesn’t need the ability to rotate side to side, but it is capable of tilting up and down depending on how high or how low it’s positioned. Even then, it benefits from a diagonal viewing angle of approximately 110 degrees.

For anyone concerned about privacy, the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera also comes with a privacy filter; by rotating the ring on the front of the camera, a small cover flips over the lens, preventing unwanted broadcasts or people with malicious intent from accessing the device.

It might seem like a one-trick pony at the moment, but ever since the Famicom, Nintendo has been working to bring people together. Not only can you come together with your friends through GameChat, but the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera helps you to feel more connected with your gaming buddies, and the potential for integration with future games will open up a world of possibilities.

Written by: MKAU Gaming