As Nintendo gears up to launch the new Switch 2, the gaming giant is also revamping its parental controls.
Parents will be getting more control of in-game communications, necessitated by the console's brand new GameChat, an upcoming social feature for Switch 2 users that allows players to communicate directly using voice or video chat and share their screens as they play. For accounts under the age of 16, parents or guardians can approve and monitor a pre-selected friends list, reported the Verge, and additional features will be added to Nintendo's existing Parental Controls app, now compatible with Switch 2.
Under the new controls, parents will have to grant permission to players if they want to begin a video chat, even with a pre-approved friend. And in addition to controlling friends lists, parents will be able to use the app to monitor GameChat history, including what they're playing, who their playing with, and what the camera displayed in its field of view during the duration of the chat. Nintendo will also include a new customization option for parents and guardians who want to add notes to their child's contacts.
The existing app already lets supervising accounts oversee screen time, monitor play histories, and approve games and content for young players.
Across the industry, child advocates and parents have sounded the alarm on the dangers of unmonitored voice and text chats, especially in popular open-world game environments like Roblox and Meta Horizons. Responding to a series of reports of inappropriate behavior, predation, and the hosting of explicit content, Roblox has cracked down on its social features and amped up its parental controls. After restricting its social functions for users under 13, Meta opened up access to a select group of age-appropriate worlds, alongside an overhaul of its virtual reality parental controls and game ratings.
Unlike the first edition console, Nintendo's Switch 2 no longer allows players to post screenshots directly to social media. GameChat will be available for free to all players until March 31, 2026, after which only Nintendo Online subscribers will have access to the in-game feature.