Polygon

The C button is one of the Switch 2’s most talked-about features. First, it was because of the secrecy about what it does. Then, after the tell-all Direct showcase, where some of us were slightly deflated to learn its actual purpose (which is to initiate GameChat in any game, and GameShare with select titles), the discourse then shifted from curiosity to concern. It’s going to be a subscription-gated button after March 31, 2026, when free access to GameChat will go away, and the feature will slip behind the Nintendo Switch Online paywall.

I can wrap my head around this decision conceptually, and I think I’d probably get over it eventually if not for the glaring fact that the C button is so close to the Home button — a button that I intend to use at least 100 times more often.

I haven’t tried the Switch 2 yet, but I imagine the last thing that I, as well as many others, will want is to hit the GameChat button by accident instead of going to the Switch 2’s home screen, or pressing Home to suspend a game. I think this will happen a lot. Do I think it’s malicious of Nintendo to deliberately put the C button next to a high-traffic button — arguably the most important button on the console? I’m of two minds. Either way, someone should do something about this. That someone could be third-party accessory manufacturers.

I’m calling on Switch 2 accessory makers to craft a Joy-Con 2 shell that covers up the C button. I know many of you are cranking away on readying accessories for the June 5 launch day, so I hope at least one of you includes in your plans the option to essentially remove the C button, or somehow make it much more difficult to press by accident. I’m not sure how you’ll do that, but I have faith that there’s a brilliant person out there who can figure something out.

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