Nintendo Switch 2 webcam compatibility: it’s a wild west

The Nintendo Switch 2 is more expensive in practically every way: pricier console, pricier games, an entire Chat button you’ll eventually have to pay to use. So it was nice when Nintendo revealed you won’t need its own $55 camera to video chat with pals.

“You can use the Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory (sold separately) or any compatible USB-C® camera you’d like,” the company wrote. But you might be mighty disappointed if you simply buy a PC webcam off the shelf.

Many USB-C webcams we’ve tried don’t work at all, including the ones you’ll typically find on “best webcam” lists around the internet, like the Logitech Brio 4K, the Insta360 Link, and the Elgato Facecam MK.2. Meanwhile, ancient USB-A cameras like my Logitech C920 fire up instantly with no trouble at all.

And in our testing, it doesn’t seem to matter if you use USB-C or USB-A, whether you’re going through a C-to-A adapter, whether you plug in via USB hub or the Switch’s dock; the webcams that work, work, and the ones that don’t, don’t.

Overall, it’s starting to look like Nintendo didn’t mean “compatible with USB-C,” but rather “compatible with Switch 2.” So why did it suggest you can use any camera you’d like? We’ve asked Nintendo. (It didn’t have an answer for us just yet.)

As of launch, neither Nintendo nor any major webcam manufacturer had even a partial list for us of compatible webcams. We asked Logitech, Razer, Microsoft, Anker, Elgato, Dell, Insta360, Obsbot, and Opal, but they didn’t have anything yet. (We’ll publish an update and/or a new story next week if they do.)

In the meanwhile, it may be up to gamers and the media to create a list themselves. So here’s a first stab at that!

To Nintendo’s credit, it is incredibly easy to test which cameras do work with the console. Just go to Systems Settings > Controllers & Accessories > Test USB Camera and working ones will automatically display an image on the screen as soon as you plug them in.

And to Elgato’s credit, it tells The Verge it may try to update its cameras: “For cameras that do not work, we will explore firmware updates to enable compatibility with Switch 2,” reads a statement via spokesperson Justin Ocbina.

If you spot (or create) a reliable updated list of which webcams work, let us know! I might include it here and in a future Verge story.