The Switch doesn’t come with a built-in mic, so there’s no easy way to voice chat on Nintendo Switch – but you can start a conversation through the Nintendo Switch Online app.
Each game has a slightly different way for players to enable voice chat on Nintendo Switch, but here’s an overview of what you need to do if you want to roast your friends when you’re beating them on something like Mario Kart.
- Download the Nintendo Switch Online app to your phone and log in using your Nintendo credentials – you’ll need to create an account if you don’t already have one. Once it’s loaded, click “voice chat” on the app’s home screen.
- Next, launch the Switch game you want to play and enter the “mode” in the Switch game that supports voice chat. This is usually just the online multiplayer version of the game, but in some games, it only works in more specific match-modes.
- You should see a prompt saying “Start voice chat?” appear on your phone. Hit accept, and you can start chatting with your friends/ rivals/ distant relatives.
Related: Best multiplayer games
Using the Switch app means you can’t enjoy your game’s audio, so it’s not a perfect workaround from Nintendo.
Some big multiplayer games – like Fortnite – will let you plug a headset straight into your Switch and start trash-talking your opponents. This is obviously a much easier option for voice chat on Nintendo Switch, so it would be nice if we saw more games develop this feature in the future.
Related: Best Switch games
Until then, anyone who wants a simpler method can always resort to Facetime or Discord, or even try a simple phone call if they’re avoiding the app altogether.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
