Switch 2’s GameChat feature requires a mobile phone number

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.

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.

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.