Switch 2 Star Fox’s GameChat Filters Sound Fun, But That Cute Piranha Plant Camera Has One Big Problem
Nintendo’s new Switch 2 Star Fox reveal has one feature that sounds properly fun for squad calls: GameChat AR filters that can turn your face into a Star Fox crew member.
Basically, if you have a compatible Switch 2 camera, the game can use your face feed and apply character-style filters while you chat. For anyone who has ever screamed “do a barrel roll” in Discord, this is exactly the kind of silly Nintendo social feature that could become a meme instantly.
But here’s the practical bit Malaysian buyers should care about: not every Switch 2 camera is built equal.
GamesRadar’s main warning is aimed at the officially licensed Hori Piranha Plant Camera. On paper, it looks like the more interesting accessory. It has the Super Mario Piranha Plant design, a Warp Pipe-style base, and even a mouth that opens and closes as a privacy shutter. Compared to Nintendo’s plain black first-party camera, memang the Hori one wins on personality.
The issue is image quality. The Hori Piranha Plant Camera only outputs at 480p, while Nintendo’s official Switch 2 camera supports 1080p. For normal novelty use, 480p might sound acceptable. For AR face filters, though, that lower resolution could be a problem.
AR filters depend on the camera clearly detecting your face and tracking movement. If the feed is soft, blurry, or noisy, the system has less detail to work with. GamesRadar notes that even with decent lighting and a ring light, the Piranha Plant camera produced a blurry image in testing. Since Switch 2 Star Fox is not out yet, the exact GameChat performance is still untested, but the concern makes sense: cleaner input usually means better tracking.
For SEA players, especially those in Malaysia who may buy accessories through Shopee, Lazada, local game shops, or grey importers, this is worth thinking about before clicking checkout. Cute accessories tend to move fast here, especially Nintendo-themed ones, but the cheaper option may not be the smarter buy if you actually want to use GameChat regularly.
Based on the US prices mentioned, Nintendo’s first-party camera is listed at US$54.99 — roughly around RM260 before shipping, tax, or local markup. The Hori Piranha Plant option is noted at US$29.99, roughly around RM140 before extra costs. So yes, the Hori camera is cheaper and way more adorable, but that 480p cap is the trade-off.
There is also a third option: the Switch 2 supports many USB-C cameras, so if you already have a decent 1080p webcam at home, you may not need to buy a new camera at all. That is probably the most Malaysian-gamer-friendly route, because we all know imported Nintendo accessories can get painful once local pricing kicks in.
The official Nintendo camera is not perfect either. GamesRadar points out that it needs a surface to sit on, which makes handheld play less convenient. But if your goal is to look sharp while transforming into Fox McCloud or another Star Fox-style pilot in GameChat, 1080p is the safer bet.
So the short version: buy the Piranha Plant camera if you want a cute shelf piece and casual camera use. But if Switch 2 Star Fox’s GameChat filters are the reason you are shopping, skip the 480p novelty and go for a clearer camera instead.
Source: GamesRadar
