GameChat - Laughing Hyena

A new console has arrived – have you noticed? The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here. And to mark the occasion we’ve teamed up with Nintendo to do a prize giveaway.

We’re giving two Nintendo-themed Lego sets away. They’re chunky ones. One is the Mario Kart Lego set that features Mario driving his iconic red kart, and the other is Bowser posing menacingly between two flaming pillars. Perhaps he’s watching Mario race by.

Mario and Bowser, arch-nemeses to the end. And now immortalised in Lego brick form. These are the competition prizes. One lucky winner gets all. Note: houses and people not included. | Image credit: Lego

You can enter the competition in a few different ways. The simplest way is to post a comment below talking about the console’s new GameChat feature, which, if you didn’t know, is like group chat but with added video streams. GameChat lets you talk with friends while screen-sharing the game you’re playing, and, if you have USB-C camera like the Switch 2 camera accessory (sold separately), you can overlay a video feed of yourself on top of that.

In a sense, it brings your friends a step closer to you. You’ll be able to see the exasperation on their faces when you shell them near the finishing line in Mario Kart World, or watch them make funny shapes with their mouths while they concentrate in Street Fighter 6. Split-Fiction will feel more connected with GameChat. You could even screen share the Nintendo Switch 2 editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and play at the same time.

What we want to know in the comments are the ways in which you’ve used GameChat or are looking forward to using it. Be nice and get creative.

The other way to enter the competition is via our Eurogamer Twitter/X account. We’ve written a tweet there about this giveaway which we’d like you to reply to with a selfie that shows you using GameChat on Switch 2. Need some inspiration? I’ve taken a picture of myself to help. Please add the #GameChat and #NintendoSwitch2 hashtags to your picture-posts.

Hashtag feeling cute? Here I am using GameChat while stretching out on my bed. I think I should do all of Nintendo’s lifestyle photography from now on. | Image credit: Eurogamer

We’ll gather entries for two weeks and then on 20th June, pick our winner, pulling from both pools of entries. You’ll then have 24 hours to build the Lego sets or else return them immediately. Note: this is a lie. They will be yours to do with as you wish.

Good luck! And please note that some terms and conditions apply.

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Those wanting to utilise the Switch 2’s GameChat feature will need to register a phone number.

The Switch 2’s GameChat feature does pretty much as it says on the tin. It will allow users to communicate with their friends and family (or, bitter rivals if Mario Party is involved) while playing a game. This is done via a microphone built into the console itself, while a separate camera will also allow for video chat. It is all accessed via that once-mysterious C button on the console.

Nintendo Switch 2 Hands-On Preview: Mario Kart World Impressions & More! Watch on YouTube

GameChat will be available for Switch 2 users for free, without a Nintendo Switch Online membership, until 31st March 2026. After that, users will only be able to access the feature if they have a paid NSO membership. However, if you read the small print, users will also need to register a phone number with a Nintendo account to access this feature.

On Nintendo’s official GameChat page, the small print reads: “Mobile phone number registration required to use GameChat.” On the same page, the company states that as an “additional security measure” text message verification “is required to set up GameChat”. It adds that text message verification for children wanting to make the most of the Switch 2’s GameChat feature will need to use a number registered to a parent or guardian’s account to get access.

This phone number requirement is for here in the UK, as well as across the pond in the US, so presumably will be a requirement worldwide.

Image credit: Nintendo

On its debut, the Switch 2’s GameChat will include text-to-speech and live captions. As we reported earlier, Nintendo will also be able to record video and voice chats stored on your console for a limited time, if you give consent. This is to ensure a “safe and family-friendly online environment”, Nintendo said, with footage only reviewed as part of its user-report system.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be available worldwide in just under two weeks time, on 5th June. For more, you can check out our guide to the Switch 2’s specs here.

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