Summary
- The Nintendo Switch 2 may have an integrated microphone.
- What looks like a microphone hole was spotted in the Switch 2 reveal trailer, located near the right-hand side of the device’s top edge.
- While the Switch lacks an integrated microphone, the Wii U GamePad, 3DS, and NDS all included one.
The Nintendo Switch 2 may feature an integrated microphone. The possibility of this addition, which wouldn’t be a first for Nintendo, was spotted in a recent analysis of the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Nintendo officially announced its next console with an extended video premiere on January 16. The two-minute trailer has already been the subject of countless analyses, uncovering details about the Switch 2 and even its new Mario Kart game that weren’t immediately obvious.
Related
Nintendo Switch 2 Trailer Confirms Its Rumored Dimensions, Screen Size
The Switch 2 reveal trailer confirms the dimensions and screen size of Nintendo’s next console, but only after some careful analysis.
In a continuation of this trend, Nintendo Life recently posted a frame-by-frame breakdown of the Switch 2 reveal trailer on its YouTube channel. While most of its findings have already been extensively reported on, there’s one detail that has so far eluded even the most eagle-eyed viewers: the new console seems to have a microphone hole. The opening is positioned near the right-hand side of its top edge, situated immediately to the right of the device’s cartridge reader. While the cavity could serve another purpose, the most straightforward explanation is that it houses a microphone.
Switch 2 Wouldn’t Be the First Nintendo Console With a Microphone
While the Switch doesn’t have a microphone, multiple Nintendo consoles preceding it do. The Wii U GamePad, 3DS, and NDS were all equipped with mics, which Nintendo opted to place near the bottom of their frames. It’s currently unclear why the company seemingly opted for the opposite placement this time around. Given that the Switch 2 Joy-Cons are detachable, one might expect that if Nintendo wanted the new console to have a microphone, it would place it in one of the controllers. One advantage of not doing so is that it helps keep the Joy-Con production costs down. Furthermore, there’s still a chance that the inevitable Switch 2 version of the Pro controller will indeed feature a microphone, similar to the PS5’s DualSense.
Nintendo Switch 2 Was Already Rumored to Have Voice Chat Before Its Reveal
Even before its reveal trailer hinted at the possibility of an integrated microphone, Nintendo’s upcoming console was already rumored to have voice chat support. This possibility was originally raised by some datamining efforts uncovering references to “Campus,” a supposed Switch 2 feature offering group and voice chats for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
If the Switch successor indeed has a microphone, this addition may be officially confirmed on April 2. That’s the date of the first Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct that promises to reveal new information about the device. Aside from offering a more detailed look at the upcoming console, the April 2 event may also yield details about its release date and launch game lineup.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release in 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. A full reveal is pencilled in for April 2, 2025.
- Brand
-
Nintendo
- Original Release Date
-
2025-00-00