Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat free trial ends today – here’s how to stay connected
You’ll need to stump up for a subscription to access GameChat on Nintendo Switch 2
🚨 The free trial for Nintendo Switch 2’s GameChat ends today at midnight
🔒 Users need a Nintendo Switch Online or Expansion Pack subscription to continue using GameChat’s voice/video chat and gameplay streaming features
💬 GameChat is a prominent social feature on the Switch 2, accessible via a dedicated ‘C Button’ on the controllers, and also includes the GameShare feature
💰 Subscription costs start at $19.99 for 12 months for a standard individual membership
Today is the last day of the Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat free trial. If you’ve been enjoying Nintendo’s quirkier take on socializing, you’ll soon be locked out of video and voice chat, and won’t be able to share your gameplay stream with your friends from midnight tonight.
GameChat is a prominent feature on Nintendo Switch 2 and even has its own dedicated button on the Joy-Con 2 controller and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. The ‘C Button’ takes you straight to GameChat, where you can chat with up to 12 of your friends and share your reactions if you have a compatible webcam.
You also won’t be able to access GameShare once the GameChat free trial ends, which lets you share select Switch 2 games with friends in the chat, even if they don’t own them.
From tomorrow, April 1, you’ll need to have an active Nintendo Switch Online or Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription to access GameChat. Thankfully, unlike PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass Premium, a Nintendo Switch Online membership remains $19.99 for 12 months. A family plan, which supports up to eight accounts, costs $34.99 and can be a great way to share a membership for less with friends and family.
If you’d like access to N64, GBA, Virtual Boy, and GameCube games, you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack tier, which costs $49.99 a year, or $79.99 for families.
Nintendo recently announced it was changing the pricing of Nintendo Switch 2 games. Physical games will now be more expensive than digital versions, as Nintendo said the new pricing “reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format”.
Nintendo clarified that the cost of physical games is “not going up”, but simply that digital versions will have a lower MSRP in the US than their physical counterparts.
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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.