The Switch 2 looks like a great system. Nintendo has finally implemented social features into the console that should have been on the original Switch. On top of that, the bigger screen makes games look much better, and the magnetic Joy-Cons are a blessing. Unfortunately, while many marveled at all the new features of the Nintendo Switch 2, I was worried. Not because Nintendo finally gave fans what they have been asking for, but because of one peripheral that I don’t think should have been added: the camera. Nintendo played this peripheral off as if it were one of the best features of Switch 2, but I won’t buy it, and for good reason.
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Kinda weird, right?
Seeing your friends in a different way
Nintendo likes to think that everything will be family-friendly. The company paints a pretty picture of friends interacting together in a nice and meaningful way, building strong connections through the use of Nintendo products. I think that Nintendo needs a bit of a reality check. My first thought when I saw the camera was how many of my friends I wouldn’t want to see.
While we don’t like to admit it, Nintendo makes some fairly rage-inducing games. Mario Party, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. are just some of the games that players have had literal fistfights over. Have you ever gotten close to winning Mario Party Jamboree only for someone to land on a shuffle space and have your stars transferred to someone else? I’m sure I am not the only one who has seen a friend lose their composure in this situation while everyone laughs at them.
One of the major selling points Nintendo revealed during the Switch 2 direct is that the camera would allow you to see your friends’ faces while playing a game. Now, imagine the scenario above unfolds. Seeing your friend lose it on camera would just be embarrassing, and it is personally something I would rather only hear over a microphone rather than see on camera. The same can be said when someone freaks out over a loss in Mario Kart or gets thrown off the stage in Super Smash Bros.
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Not the best
Quality, that is
Nintendo showcased the Switch 2 camera during the Nintendo Direct, and I found it to be lacking. It boasts the ability to remove your background in real time, showing only your body and face as you play a game and interact with your friends. While this feature is pretty cool, it also looks terrible. Zooming in on the camera shots during the direct, each one of the people playing the Switch 2 looked choppy and lagged at a consistent rate.
The official camera created by Nintendo is supposedly 1080p. Despite this HD quality, all the images revealed by Nintendo looked terrible, and were not worth the $50 price tag. You can typically buy cameras of equal quality for around $30. The other camera that players are hyped about, which looks like a Piranha Plant, supposedly has even worse quality. This camera apparently only has the capability of broadcasting in 480p.
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Adult supervision
May be required
Source: Nintendo
Let me start by saying that I know Nintendo showed that you can turn on parental controls on the Switch 2 to make gaming safer for children. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it will be safe. When I saw the camera on the Nintendo Direct, my first thought was that many were going to use it inappropriately and that there would be imagery shown that is NSFW. This happened with past Nintendo features such as PictoChat and the MiiVerse when players were allowed to share drawn images. Now that they have access to a camera, imagine what will happen.
Unfortunately, as someone who has had to answer the questions of adults who bought games for their children at the game store, I have. I know that not every adult will be able to figure out how to turn on parental controls. This will ultimately lead to children seeing stuff they aren’t supposed to, and parents being surprised that their children were subjected to it. In my mind, Nintendo might have just created its own version of ChatRoulette, and it will only end badly.
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Just leave the camera at the store
The idea of a camera that you can use to talk to your friends while you play games isn’t inherently bad, but the implementation is pretty off. I’d love to chat with my friends in video calls on the Switch 2. I just don’t want to see them in-game, screaming about how I stole their stars or blue-shelled them. I also don’t like the thought of what could transpire if parents don’t understand how to implement the parental controls. After all, humanity has a way of ruining even the best inventions. Overall, the camera just seems like a bad idea and one that I don’t want to waste my money on.
