Your Pixel phone can now be used as a webcam for the Nintendo Switch 2

One of the new social gaming features introduced with the Nintendo Switch 2 is GameChat, which essentially lets you join a group video call where everyone shares their game screen and camera feed. GameChat lets you see and chat with friends even if they’re playing different games, but it requires external hardware to show your face, as the Switch 2 lacks a built-in camera. Nintendo says the Switch 2 works with most USB webcams, but in our early testing, we found that it wasn’t compatible with the Pixel’s USB webcam mode. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case.

Google Pixel phones are some of the only Android phones that can natively act as USB webcams. This is because they support the USB webcam feature Google introduced in the first quarterly release of Android 14. This update allowed devices to change the USB mode to UVC (USB Video Class) — the standard used by dedicated webcams. In order to support this feature, though, manufacturers must explicitly configure their phones to support UVC. Google is currently the only one doing so, meaning you don’t need a third-party webcam app to use your Pixel as a webcam — just a USB cable.

Shortly after the Nintendo Switch 2 launched, users tested a variety of USB webcams to check for compatibility. One of my followers connected their Pixel phone to their Switch 2 and enabled Webcam mode in USB Preferences, but it failed; the Switch 2 briefly recognized the Pixel as a webcam before the connection dropped. We didn’t know why Pixels weren’t recognized as valid webcams at the time — the fault could have been on either Nintendo or Google’s side. Thankfully, the issue has quietly been resolved.

Yesterday, X user Nadir92 informed me that their Pixel phone was now recognized as a USB webcam by the Nintendo Switch 2. Discord users Badmax and Petro confirmed this was the case with their own devices; Badmax shared a photo demonstrating this new compatibility, which you can view below.

We don’t know whether a Switch 2 firmware update or a recent Pixel update enabled compatibility, but we’re glad to see it fixed. If you own a Pixel phone and a Switch 2, you no longer need to carry a separate webcam to use GameChat on the go — just prop up your phone and you’re good to go.