PSA: The Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant camera is super low resolution
That cute little Piranha Plant camera is way worse than Nintendo's official camera
Update: Our new Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order guide has the latest information on the officially confirmed date and time in the US for April 24, 2025.
👀 The Hori Piranha Plant camera has one key flaw against Nintendo's own Switch 2 camera – resolution.
😬 It outputs at just 480p, resulting in a much lower resolution for video chats and streams with Nintendo's GameChat
👍 The camera also comes with a privacy shutter, and can be used on or off its stand
📸 The camera is new to Switch 2, and can even be used for playing certain games
The Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant camera accessory from Hori is easily one of the most adorable accessories for the new console, although it seems as if it's more form over function.
The reason for this is simple: resolution. Where the standard Switch 2 camera has a 1080p resolution (the same as the Switch 2's screen), the Hori camera can only capture at 480p – we're back in the mid-2000s, folks.
Then again, the Hori Piranha Plant camera is a bit cheaper than Nintendo's own, carrying a price tag of €39.99 (approx. $44), while the official Switch 2 Camera is $50, so the lower resolution is slightly understandable – it's just surprising it's that much lower.
Nonetheless, it's certainly a cooler-looking camera than Nintendo's own, with the pot acting as its stand and USB extension. The Piranha housing is detachable and can be placed anywhere you wish, while the mouth of the plant is an integrated privacy shutter.
Switch 2's camera is designed to be used for the console's new GameChat function, which allows players to share their screen and themselves while playing. What's also handy is that the chat can be used across different games, so players can keep chatting and screen-sharing no matter what they’re playing.
The GameChat feature is free to use from the Switch 2 release date until March 31 2026 – from then on, it will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
The Nintendo Switch 2 camera can also be used in certain games – similar to PlayStation 2's EyeToy and Xbox’s Kinect – such as in the upgraded version of Super Mario Party Jamboree, where certain mini games employ players to stand up and use their whole bodies to play.
Nintendo has said that other USB-C webcams will work with the Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s a mystery as to which ones are compatible right now.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.