In the end, the ‘C’ button on Switch 2’s Joy-Con was revealed as a way of communicating and chatting with friends and family members.
Now, in a newly translated article via Nintendo Everything, Nintendo has apparently explained why it gave this function a “dedicated button”. It was to make communication as simple as possible, and a dedicated button meant only a “single action” was required to start a conversation.
As for the icon and the final name of this button, apart from being associated with words such as “chat”, “communication” and “conversation”, the ‘C’ was selected to harmonise with the “existing A and B button layout”. Nintendo has even shared a look at some of the other icons it considered before the ‘C’ button was selected:
To make use of the Game Chat feature on the Switch 2, you’ll need to have an active Switch Online subscription. In saying this, Nintendo is currently running a “GameChat Welcome Offer”, so until 31st March 2026, you can use GameChat features for free.
