The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a surprisingly mixed reception after its first dedicated Direct. While fans are loving the third-party reveals, many are lamenting the lack of first-party launch titles. Some fans are delighted by the plethora of gimmicks, while others see them as being just that. Many are angry at the console's price point and the fact that Nintendo is hiking up the prices of its games in general, and, well, no one is really defending it. It's a strange turn of events for a console that felt like it would be an easy victory for Nintendo.

A large amount of the unease around the Switch 2's launch likely stems from the fact that we've been saddled with the Switch for eight years by this point. While it has been eight amazing years, fans have been asking for an upgrade for a long time now, and, for some, the Switch 2 doesn't quite cut it. That isn't felt more than in its surprisingly choppy framerate, specifically with the Switch 2's Game Chat feature. Nintendo has offered an explanation as to why the framerate is so bad, but somehow, it makes the whole situation more confusing.

The Switch 2's Game Chat Is Laggy

Other People's Gameplay Looks Like It's Running At 10 FPS

For those who missed the very disappointing Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo showcased the brand-new Game Chat function, which is basically Discord on your Switch. While playing a game, you can bring up Game Chat with a press of the once-mysterious C-Button on the joy con and watch as your friends appear at the bottom of your screen. If they've shelled out for one of the expensive Switch 2 camera peripherals, then you'll be able to see their face. Otherwise, their box will either be empty or feature their gameplay.

Nintendo's initial showcase of Game Chat was a disaster, in my opinion. It takes up so much of your screen - you can adjust it to shrink other people's footage, but it goes so small that there's no point in having it at all - which may not be an issue on a 60-inch TV, but could be an issue in handheld mode. It is perhaps telling that Nintendo has not yet showcased Game Chat working on a handheld. However, perhaps the worst issue with Game Chat is that it is incredibly laggy.

Anyone else's gameplay footage appeared to be running at a few frames a second, which isn't ideal even if you did want to look at it. It is also incredibly blurry, likely owing to a poor internet connection or the fact that Nintendo hasn't figured out a way of getting four gameplay streams to run simultaneously at a high framerate, even on a stable internet connection. It is a shame, as, in theory, Game Chat is a cool idea. However, much like the Switch 2's most disappointing features, it feels destined to fail on arrival.

Nintendo Has Explained Game Chat's Laggy Framerate

It Is To Preserve The Primary Player's Experience

Nintendo has, fortunately, come out and explained why the footage looks choppy in the initial and subsequent showcases of the Switch 2 Game Chat feature. Speaking to Gamespot, the Switch 2's hardware director, Takuhiro Dohta, explained that while the ideal scenario is for Game Chat to run flawlessly, they wanted to ensure that the primary player's experience wasn't disrupted by the simultaneous streams happening below. Essentially, Game Chat is laggy so that it isn't too taxing on your own gaming experience. Dohta told Gamespot:

"So obviously, chat is meant to run and work simultaneously and coincide with the game you're playing. But we also think it's critical that it doesn't get in the way of the game that's running right now. And so we wanted to definitely make sure we do was to make sure that running game chat alongside the game doesn't result in the game experience or quality being reduced at all in any way."

This was followed up by technical director Tetsuya Sasaki's comments, who explained that "if somebody is in a better environment, they're going to get better results in of their experience." He clarified that they "really wanted to make sure that more than anything people had an [...] even experience" when using the Game Chat function. This explanation doesn't really make any sense, as, much like a lot of the Switch 2, it is playing it far too safe. In an attempt to cater to everyone, the Switch 2's Game Chat feature is enjoyable for no one.

Well, I suppose it is enjoyable for people who have incredible internet connections. One has to assume that the "better environment" Sasaki mentioned must be the best one can buy, as the footage is choppy in Nintendo's own showcase meant to illustrate the average experience. While a lot of people are enjoying the Switch 2 and its many gimmicks, I find it very hard to believe that people will get much use out of Game Chat, especially when free services like Discord are available. Of course, all of this begs the question of whom any of this is for.

Who Is Game Chat Even For

It Doesn't Seem To Have A Practical Use

I still don't really understand who Game Chat is for. While it is free initially, Nintendo is charging people to use Game Chat after a few months. You will eventually need a Nintendo Switch Online hip to use it, which not only renders an entire button on your joy con useless if you don't want to pay for Nintendo's monthly subscription, but, as aforementioned, makes the entire feature pointless as free and better optimized alternatives exist. The only advantage that Game Chat has over Discord is that it can easily stream Nintendo Switch 2 footage, even if it is laggy.

Having to pay an additional cost for NSO and a camera on top of that seems excessive for a feature that we can already get on our phones, tablets, or computers that the handheld console can handily be brought near to.

However, who is actually going to want to watch someone else's gameplay while playing themselves? Even if Game Chat ran perfectly fine, your eyes can't be in two places at once. Interestingly, the use case Nintendo provided for needing to see your friends' gameplay is to help them solve a puzzle or overcome a challenge. However, unsurprisingly, when they enlarged the other player's gameplay, the footage was so laggy that there was no way anyone could have helped them, even if they wanted to.

It is possible that the technology will get better and that people will find more uses for Game Chat. However, I'm extremely doubtful. People are already rightfully angry about having to pay so much for the Switch 2 and its games. Having to pay an additional cost for NSO and a camera on top of that seems excessive for a feature that we can already get on our phones, tablets, or computers that the handheld console can handily be brought near to.

I am happy for those excited ing the Game Chat function, especially if they see it as an easier and more convenient way of communicating with their friends. Nintendo definitely has its heart in the right place as it once again attempts to bring us all together in the only way it knows how. However, I can't help but feel somewhat jaded that, despite its best intentions, Nintendo has let its hubris get the better of it and produced a feature for the Nintendo Switch 2 that showcases not only the hardware's limitations but that of Nintendo's, too.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube, Gamespot