Google Pixel phones can now be used as a webcam for Nintendo Switch 2 – here’s how
An easy way to broadcast yourself on GameChat
👍 Google Pixel phones can now be used as a USB webcam with the Nintendo Switch 2, following the ‘November 2025’ update
📸 This new functionality is ideal for using GameChat on the Switch 2 without buying a dedicated webcam
👉 To use it, connect the Pixel phone to the Switch 2’s top USB-C port
🙌 While the official Switch 2 Camera offers 1080p output and a stand, the Pixel phone serves as a convenient alternative for video chatting and supported games
If you own a Google Pixel phone and a Nintendo Switch 2 but haven’t picked up the official Switch 2 Camera or a compatible webcam, you now have one in your pocket.
Before the ‘November 2025’ update, Google Pixel phones couldn’t be used as a USB webcam when connected to the Switch 2. However, this feature is now working, and the official patch notes say the update includes a “fix for an issue where webcam mode does not work properly with connected devices under certain conditions”.
If you’d like to give it a go, plug your phone into the Switch 2’s top USB-C port and it should be recognized as being a compatible webcam. You’ll need to find a way to prop the phone up, but it should make a fine stand-in when using GameChat.
Nintendo’s camera peripheral may be a luxury add-on, but the official Switch 2 Camera has some perks over the competition. For one, it has a 1080p output and a wide field of view. The built-in stand also means you can easily keep yourself in frame, no matter where you position it.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera (or compatible webcam) lets you chat with friends and family using GameChat, and it’s also used in some games. For example, you can see your friends in Mario Kart World as you drive past them or even perform new gameplay mechanics in Super Mario Party Jamboree.
Up next: Nintendo Switch 2 six-month review: most people are very happy, according to this poll
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.