If rumors are to be believed, it won't be long before Nintendo Switch 2 officially gets unveiled. Meaning, we'll finally get an answer to our biggest question: What is that new, mysterious "C" button's purpose?
Folks over at the Nintendo Switch 2 Discord (via GameRant) posted that they successfully determined the current Switch operating system, and according to their findings — alongside SDK (Software Development Kit) leaks — they may have discovered the existence of voice chat functionality built into the Switch 2 itself.
If you weren't aware, this is a considerable leap from the original Switch, where Nintendo locked voice chat functionality to the Nintendo Switch Online application only available on smart devices. To chat online, you had to open up your phone or tablet and use it as a secondary device while gaming.
It was a bizarre choice and I've seen very few people actually utilize this function. Alternatives like Discord and other third-party communication applications are often preferred.
However, that might be changing with the Nintendo Switch 2. To take things even further, the rumored voice chat functionality might be directly related to the C button itself, as the aforementioned data miners discovered that the functionality is codenamed "Campus," which could mean the button will be utilized as a social platform.
Apparently, Campus will allow group chats of up to 12 Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, alongside screen-sharing functionality.
If a leak from Nate the Hate on YouTube is to be believed, we'll witness an official Nintendo Switch 2 showcase on Thursday, which means we'll get confirmation on whether or not this leak is accurate. And while it is exciting to get chat functionality within the device itself, it would be pretty disappointing if that's all the new button amounted to.
Nintendo Switch 2's "C" button should do more than just be a social platform
While the addition of voice chat for the Switch 2 is nice, it's an example of how far behind the company can feel compared to the competition. There's no denying that Nintendo still puts out some of the best games in the medium, alongside how the company revolutionized handheld gaming itself with the Switch.
However, when it comes to online functionality or modernized graphics, Nintendo has famously lagged behind. Nintendo finally implementing voice chat functionality into their new console in 2025, something the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 did back in 2005 and 2006 respectively, is pretty difficult to be genuinely excited about.
Rumors have been circulating about this new, mysterious button for months, and to learn that its functionality will be dedicated to such a mundane feature is underwhelming.
What's next?
Throwing pessimism aside for a moment, I do appreciate that Nintendo is taking social functionality seriously with the Nintendo Switch 2. Dedicating an entire button to a social platform will add a level of convenience that not even Xbox or PlayStation boast, as their designated home buttons still often require the user to navigate menus to enter the group chat sections.
It's also entirely possible that the data mined information is incomplete, outdated, or misleading, but if Nate the Hate's leak regarding the Switch 2 reveal is accurate, we should know the truth as soon as this Thursday.
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