The Nintendo Switch 2's 'C' button function may have been revealed – but I have my doubts
No one knows what the Nintendo Switch 'C' button does, but this might be a good guess
🙏 Some features of the Nintendo Switch 2 have yet to leak
🤔 One of the most notable features to remain under wraps is what the ‘C’ button will do
🗣 Some people believe it will be used to quickly access messaging and voice chat
🔐 However, Nintendo has a history of being notoriously child-safety focused
Despite countless Nintendo Switch 2 leaks and strong predictions of a reveal today, one feature remains under wraps: the ‘C’ button’s function on the right Joy-Con.
There have been a couple of theories floating around about what the mysterious button might do. The main one that’s gained traction is that the ‘C’ button stands for ‘Connect’, and will let you stream your gameplay to a TV, essentially turning the Nintendo Switch 2 into a sort of Wii U GamePad.
However, a new prediction suggests that the C button will be a hotkey to game chat and voice chat, something that is sorely missing from the Nintendo Switch.
According to the latest rumor, the Nintendo Switch 2 will support up to 12 players and you’ll even be able to share your screen with people you’re chatting with.
The feature will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, which isn’t too surprising as you need a subscription to play online, just like on PS5 and Xbox, and would make playing games together with friends far easier than it currently is on Switch.
Nintendo launched its own app for online play on Switch, but it remains woefully under supported. Only a couple of games took advantage of the mobile app, but even then it was an overcomplicated way of achieving something that Sony and Microsoft have offered for years.
Why I don’t think the ‘C’ button will be for chat or voice calls
However, despite the insider saying they’re “99.99% sure” of the ‘C’ button being for voice chat and messaging, I’m not convinced. Despite being a mainstay on every other device, I would be genuinely shocked if Nintendo put such an emphasis on online messaging and party chat.
Nintendo is notoriously worried about online safety, especially as its primary audience is children and parents. Nintendo won’t want to put a feature that potentially opens up its users to harm front and center, as all it would take is one unpleasant situation to occur for its reputation as a family-friendly device to be ruined.
We’ve seen that Nintendo hasn’t hesitated to protect its players against bad actors in the past, even if it’s meant scrapping a feature or a piece of software entirely. In 2013, Nintendo shut down Swapnote’s SpotPass functionality as a 44-year-old man in Japan allegedly used the app to convince two young girls to send him explicit photos.
I believe this incident forced Nintendo to change its approach to online services, and it’s probably why the Nintendo Switch adopted friend codes again after they were previously ditched on Wii U.
Either way, whatever the ‘C’ button does remains a mystery for now, and until Nintendo officially reveals its next console, I sincerely hope it stays that way.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.