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“You can use the Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory (sold separately) or any compatible USB-C® camera you’d like,” the company stated. However, you might be quite disappointed if you just purchase a PC webcam from the shelf.
Numerous USB-C webcams we’ve tested don’t function at all, including those typically found on “best webcam” lists online, such as the Logitech Brio 4K, the Insta360 Link, and the Elgato Facecam MK.2. In contrast, old USB-A cameras like my Logitech C920 start up instantly without any issues.
Based on our testing, it doesn’t seem to make a difference if you use the Switch USB-C ports or the USB-A ports on the dock, whether you’re utilizing a C-to-A adapter, or whether you daisy-chain with a USB hub: the webcams that function, function, and the ones that don’t, don’t.
Overall, it’s starting to look like Nintendo didn’t mean “compatible with USB-C,” but rather “compatible with Switch 2.” So why did it suggest you can use any camera you’d like? We’ve asked Nintendo. (It didn’t have an answer for us just yet.)
As of launch, neither Nintendo nor any major webcam manufacturer had even a partial list for us of compatible webcams. We asked Logitech, Razer, Microsoft, Anker, Elgato, Dell, Insta360, Obsbot, and Opal, but they didn’t have anything yet. (We’ll publish an update and/or a new story next week if they do.)
In the meanwhile, it may be up to gamers and the media to create a list themselves. So here’s a first stab at that!
We confirmed it works with Switch 2
We confirmed it doesn’t work
Reportedly works with Switch 2
Reportedly doesn’t work
To Nintendo’s credit, it is incredibly easy to test which cameras do work with the console. Just go to Systems Settings > Controllers & Accessories > Test USB Camera and working ones will automatically display an image on the screen as soon as you plug them in.
And to Elgato’s credit, it tells The Verge it may try to update its cameras: “For cameras that do not work, we will explore firmware updates to enable compatibility with Switch 2,” reads a statement via spokesperson Justin Ocbina.
If you spot (or create) a reliable updated list of which webcams work, let us know! I might include it here and in a future Verge story.