Switch 2’s C Button Is Not Free
Nintendo is bringing a Discord-like chat app to the Switch 2, but there is a catch. You will have to pay for it. GameChat, along with the C button that activates it, will be free until March 31, 2026. After that, you will need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to keep using it.
So what happens if you press the C button without a subscription? Not much, according to Nintendo’s Bill Trinen, the vice president of player and product experience. You will just see information about the membership and its features. That is where you will learn that GameChat functions a lot like Discord. Whether you are playing in handheld or docked mode, you can voice chat with friends using a built-in microphone and even stream your gameplay. If you want, you can buy a camera to overlay on your stream or have face-to-face chats.
But if you do not subscribe, the C button will not do anything. You cannot even remap it. It just sits there, reminding you of the $19.99 per year that Nintendo wants you to pay. Trinen says that GameChat is tied to the overall Switch 2 experience, just like other membership perks. Along with online play, your subscription unlocks old GameCube games and offers free upgrades for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
That is an extra cost on top of a console that already costs $449.99. And if tariffs push Nintendo to raise the price, you might be paying even more. Whether GameChat is worth it, you will find out when the Switch 2 launches in June.