Nintendo has explained why the screen sharing feature in Switch 2 Game Chat runs at a low frame rate.
Players using Switch 2’s Game Chat feature have the ability to turn on a screen sharing feature, which shares what’s on their screen with other players.
This allows everyone to see what other players are up to during a multiplayer game, or to give players advice if they’re stuck at a certain point.
Players can also share their screen even if they’re playing a different game, meaning one player could be playing Mario Kart World while their friend is sharing their Donkey Kong Bananza gameplay underneath.
However, players have noted that the Game Chat footage shown during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct appeared to show other players’ footage running at what appears to be 10 frames per second, as opposed to the 30fps, 60fps or even 120fps supported by Switch 2 games.
In an interview with GameSpot, Nintendo Switch 2 hardware director Takuhiro Dohta explained that the reason Game Chat screen sharing runs at a low resolution is to ensure it doesn’t take up too much of the console’s resources, which could affect gameplay.
“Obviously, chat is meant to run and work simultaneously and coincide with the game you’re playing,” Dohta explained. “But we also think it’s critical that it doesn’t get in the way of the game that’s running right now. And so we wanted to definitely make sure what we do was to make sure that running Game Chat alongside the game doesn’t result in the game experience or quality being reduced at all in any way.
Technical director Tetsuya Sasaki added that the reduced frame was to ensure everyone has the same experience, as well as ensuring enough power is left over for the games themselves.
“As Nintendo, one thing we really put emphasis on is making sure that everyone experiences a very even experience when it comes to the quality of service that they’re experiencing,” he explained. “And based on this emphasis that we prioritize – obviously if somebody is in a better environment, they’re going to get better results in terms of their experience – but we really wanted to make sure that more than anything people had an equal or even playing field, or even experience, rather. And I think that was our priority as an entertainment company.
“And the other aspect of this is that we want to make sure that there is enough power reserved for the games themselves. And so we have a smaller area to play around in within to make sure that all these varying aspects to fit into, things like network environment connectivity. And so we landed on within this margin that we have to work within, this is a good even experience that we can provide.”
Nintendo confirmed its Game Chat feature last week during its Switch 2 Nintendo Direct presentation, where it revealed that the Switch 2 console has a microphone built into it, and that players can use a USB-C camera to capture their reactions when playing games with friends.
GameChat will be free to use until March 31, 2026, after which it will require a Switch Online subscription.
