We likely won't have clear answers to these questions until the Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct arrives in April. But that doesn't mean we can't speculate! We put our heads together and made a list of what we wanted think The button is for and what we Hope The button is for. There are no wrong answers – um, or at least not until we get them real Answers in April – so feel free to comment in the comments about what you think the C key will do!
This is probably the most likely of all the theories out there. As Polygon editor-in-chief Christopher Plante has previously speculated, the C button is said to open an in-game text or video chat system that will allow Nintendo Switch 2 owners to freely communicate with each other and the process of participating To simplify multiplayer games. It would be a welcome improvement over the original Switch and would provide the opportunity for a fun new UI experience.
We could all use a little help every now and then. Who better to offer that helping hand and advice than Lieutenant Columbo, the clever and Zen-like detective immortalized by the late, great Peter Falk? When you press the Columbo button, you'll be treated to one of the detective's ironic catchphrases and witty quips. If that doesn't sound like a quality of life feature, I don't know what is.
These days it feels like everything and anything has an obligatory AI assistant. Your phone, your car, your blender – whatever. So why not the Nintendo Switch 2 (except no one asked for it)? Pressing the C button could potentially summon an AI assistant avatar modeled after one of Nintendo's many iconic characters, offering helpful in-game tips or shouting a catchphrase.
Screen capture/screen share (“click”)
A lot has changed in the world of gaming since the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017. One thing that could definitely use a change is the way gamers share screenshots and videos of their favorite gaming moments with each other. This is where the C key on the Switch 2 could come into play. One of our leading theories is that the button, in addition to a proprietary chat feature, could allow players to take pictures or stream videos of their favorite in-game moments or interactions. What would this function be called? “Click” of course!
Who doesn't love the sound? collect a coin in Super Mario Bros.? Don't you wish you had a button that would trigger the sweet dopamine rush of that mellifluous tone in every game you play, Mario or not? Well, that's what the C key could be for! Just press it to your heart's content whenever the occasion calls for it! Defeat a really challenging boss? P-joing! Have you achieved a super difficult achievement? P-joing! Are you feeling down? P-joing!
Matthew Reynolds, deputy editor at Polygon, has his own idea of what the C key is for:
Have you ever played an intense game? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and thought to you: Man, I should definitely see Federico Fellini's film 8½? Relatable, am I right? With the Nintendo Switch 2's dedicated Criterion Channel button, you no longer have to choose between one screen or another for your entertainment. With a library of over 1,500 titles to choose from, the Criterion Channel could be the killer app for Nintendo's latest console.
You know which console not Do you have a dedicated Criterion Channel app? PlayStation 5. Checkmate, Sony.
