You don't need the Switch 2 Camera — but I tried 9 different models, and almost none of them worked

The Nintendo Switch 2 has made its debut to huge initial success, and one of the big accessories you'll find on store shelves is the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. This, alongside the Hori Piranha Plant Camera for the Switch 2, may have you think you need a dedicated webcam for your new console if you want to use GameChat, but that's not true. Nintendo has always acknowledged that existing USB cameras can also work, so I decided to put that to the test.

The good news is, it's true — you don't need the Switch 2 Camera. The bad news, however, is that all the webcams I had at home did not work, and it's hard to tell why. I had to borrow a different webcam to get GameChat working, which was a bit of bummer.

So, what's supposed to work?

Start with the basics

According to Nintendo, the Switch 2 should work with a "compatible USB-C camera", which isn't terribly specific, but surprisingly, it's also overly specific. While a USB-C camera is required if you want to use it in handheld mode, USB Type-A webcams can be connected to the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock for use with GameChat while in TV mode. That way, if you already have a USB Type-A camera, maybe you can keep it next to your TV, and buy a smaller USB-C option for handheld use.

That being said, this wording doesn't provide any specifics on what might limit a camera from working with the system, so there's nothing like personal experience. I did reach out to Nintendo about this, but have received no response so far.

None of my webcams worked

They're all a bit too fancy, maybe

Now, I'm fortunate enough to have a wide range of very high-quality webcams due to receiving review units for them, so I was eager to try them out with the Switch 2 as soon as I got it. The models I tried include:

• Obsbot Tiny 2
• Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite
• Obsbot Meet 4K
• Obsbot Meet SE
• Obsbot Tiny SE
• Insta360 Link 2C
• Opal Tadpole
• Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra

Much to my dismay, not a single one of these webcams worked as intended. To be fair, for all but the Opal Tadpole, the microphones in all these webcams were recognized, so I know some part of the communication worked. But the cameras themselves are not functional.

I reached out to Obsbot about this and the company unfortunately hasn't been able to test its cameras with the Switch 2 yet, but I do have a theory. All of these webcams claim to require a USB 3.0 connection (minus the Opal Tadpole and Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra), and they also have a lot of smart features built-in that don't require special software. It's not like how you might connect a Logitech webcam to your PC and use dedicated software to enable certain features or customizations. In the Obsbot and Insta360 webcams, all these AI-powered features run directly on the camera without any dedicated software on your PC. In fact, while the Switch 2 didn't recognize the cameras, I can still voice activate them and use gestures or audio commands to make them track me.

This theory, however, kind of falls apart with the Opal Tadpole — which is only rated for USB 2.0 speeds anyway — and the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, which doesn't have anything particularly interesting in terms of baked-in features. The only thing I can think of is that they have very high-quality sensors, so maybe that has something to do with it. All the webcams I've tried are fairly expensive.

What webcam did work?

I had to borrow one

After no success with my own webcams, I asked my brother to bring over his own webcam, which is a much more standard model — a Trust TW-250 webcam. There's nothing fancy about this one, and it uses a USB Type-A connector. This means I can't use it in handheld mode without an adapter, but in TV mode, I plugged this into the USB Type-A port on the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, and it worked.

The only problem is that, because it's a very run-of-the-mill webcam, quality isn't great for video calling, especially when it's on top of my TV across the living room. But it does function, and I've used it in multiplayer races in Mario Kart World to add an interesting social layer to the game. It's kind of fun to be able to see my friends' faces as I pass them after hitting them with a shell.

It's interesting, though, because I've seen numerous reports of other users that have gotten much crazier setups to work. Some have used a DSLR camera with some adapters to connect to the USB-C port, and I've even seen a Reddit user use HDMI output from a Wii U as the camera feed on the Switch 2. It's truly puzzling why the higher-end webcam models I've tried don't work. before you suggest my top USB-C port is what's broken, I tried a few of the cameras using the USB Type-A ports on the dock, too — no luck.

You may not need a new camera, but your mileage will vary

While it's appreciated that the Switch 2 doesn't forcibly limit you to use the official Nintendo camera, compatibility with third-party cameras seems to be far from a guaranteed hit. In fairness, I tried high-end webcams that most people probably won't have, but it doesn't paint the most positive picture.

The main takeaway here is that if you do have a webcam at home, it's worth giving it a shot before splurging on the official one. However, you also have to be ready for the possibility that it won't work. It's a a bit of a gamble, but thankfully, it's not something that's necessarily core to the Switch 2 experience, so most people will probably take it or leave it.