Nintendo finally reveals what the Switch 2's mysterious C button is all about: howling abuse at your mates

Nintendo's finally revealed what the Switch 2's mysterious C button is all about at today's Direct. It activates the new GameChat feature, which uses a mic built into the console to let folks howl abouse at their mates via cross-game voice chat.

Yep, a special button just for when you want to call your friend Barry the C word because he's just carved you up and dropped a banana peel in Mario Kart World. It's even labelled C and everything.

Nintendo showed off the new feature in a lengthy bit of its Direct that featured lots of people smiling and being nice to each other. It's usable in handheld and docked mode, and also allows you to share your game screen with up to three other Switch 2s at a time, so you can show your mates the thing you're effing and blinding about, or have them yell at you that you're doing the wrong thing.

The feature also comes with some noise-canceling functionality, so everyone can still hear you swearing even if your mum/partner/dog turns on something like a blender in order to try and drown you out. Handy! You can also mute youself from the chat menu pressing the C button pulls up.

GameChat's designed to be used with a new Nintendo Switch 2 camera Ninty's putting out alongside the new console in June, but that's not essential. You will need a Nintendo Switch Online account to use it in the long run, but it'll available for free during an open-access period that'll run until March 31, 2026. A perfect window to get your most devastating insults in.

There's also a GameShare feature which'll let you do local play with up to three other Switches, but it'll only work with select titles.

Are you gonna use the Switch 2's C button to call your mates the C word? Let us know below!