The new GameChat feature on the Nintendo Switch 2 allows players to talk and even see each other through a video chat option built into the system. Interestingly, you can also use an iPhone or an Android smartphone as a camera instead of the official one, but there’s a condition.
To use a smartphone as a camera, you need to connect it to the Nintendo console through an external capture card or a cable with an integrated adapter. It might not be the most convenient, and in some cases, this setup might not cost much less than the official camera for the Nintendo Switch 2. However, this tool is definitely more versatile, and anyone who already owns a capture card can use this solution without needing to buy the specific peripheral.
The official camera for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been available since the console’s launch on June 5, 2025, and it’s priced at $54.99. There’s also an alternative from Hori in the shape of a Piranha Plant. While it looks great, it might not have the best specs. Still, for some, purchasing the camera may not be necessary.
If you already have a capture card or a video connector with an integrated card, or if you plan to buy one for other reasons, you can use it as an interface to connect a smartphone to the Nintendo Switch 2 and use the phone’s camera as the official webcam for the console.
Of course, it’s not certain that this solution will work for long, as Nintendo could block this system with future console firmware updates. But for now, it works, as shown in the video below.
In practice, you just need to connect the capture card to the Nintendo Switch 2 via USB-C and then connect your smartphone to the card’s HDMI port using a USB-C to HDMI cable. Apparently, this works without issues, at least based on what some users have reported so far.
