Nintendo Dangles Points To Make You Press Switch 2's C Button

That C Button Mystery, Solved — and Monetized

A year ago, Switch 2 owners spent way too long guessing what the mysterious C Button actually did. The answer landed with GameChat, Nintendo’s system-level social hub for voice, optional video via a USB camera, and a live gameplay feed your friends can watch. Now that GameChat has moved behind the paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription as of April 1, 2026, Nintendo is trying a fresh incentive to get you to press C again.

Beginning this week, the company is awarding 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points simply for opening GameChat. There’s a cosmetic kicker too: load it up and you’ll be able to unlock a run of themed user icon elements. It’s a small nudge, but an unmistakable one — Nintendo wants more players inside GameChat.

How to Nab 100 Platinum Points

Nintendo’s promo is time-limited and fairly specific. “A new mission is buzzing in!” the official site reads. “Until April 22 at 5:59pm PT, Nintendo Switch Online members can earn 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points by hopping into GameChat, an exclusive feature for the Nintendo Switch 2 system that lets you group up and hang out with friends and family. You’ll then be able to redeem your points for themed icon elements, which you can use to create a fresh look for your user icon.”

Getting in is simple. “You can start GameChat by tapping the icon on the HOME Menu on your Nintendo Switch 2 system or by pressing the C Button on your Joy-Con 2 controller,” Nintendo explains. If it’s your first time, there’s a one-off setup to complete before the reward triggers. There’s also a deadline on claiming: “To collect your Platinum Points, please visit the Nintendo Switch Online app on your system within 30 days of completing this mission. The mission and icon elements are available until April 22 at 5:59 pm PT.”

That means you’ll need an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to even access GameChat, which lines up with Nintendo’s plan unveiled at launch to place the feature behind the subscription starting April 1, 2026. That date has now passed, making GameChat a premium perk rather than a free experiment.

What GameChat Actually Does

GameChat isn’t just another party voice channel. It supports standard voice chat, and with a compatible USB camera you can switch on video. More interesting is the gameplay feed: friends in your chat can see exactly what you’re playing, turning a casual hangout into a watch party or a quick coaching session. In practice, it’s meant to keep your group inside the Switch 2 ecosystem rather than bouncing to a phone app.

Functionally, that C Button is your shortcut. Tap it and you’re in, at least once you’ve finished the initial setup. Some players have admitted they’ve hit it by mistake when aiming for Home — easy to do mid-session — which probably explains Nintendo’s reminder campaign as GameChat shifts to a paid feature.

Will Players Bite?

Anecdotally, the wider Switch community hasn’t made GameChat a daily habit. You’ll find plenty of fans online saying they rarely use it, and others who haven’t tried it at all. That’s a tough hill to climb when the feature now requires a subscription, even if many users already have Switch Online for other reasons such as cloud saves and multiplayer.

Platinum Points help sweeten the pitch, though they’re not a massive prize. They do buy you those limited-time icon elements, and for anyone who collects My Nintendo rewards, an easy 100 points isn’t nothing. Still, the bigger question is whether GameChat’s mix of voice, optional video, and live gameplay sharing is sticky enough to replace whatever people already use on PC and phones.

Nintendo’s Bet on Engagement

Viewed more broadly, the move feels like a test of habit-building. Get people to press C once for points; maybe they’ll press it twice the next time they group up. If Nintendo keeps layering in time-limited missions and cosmetic drops, GameChat could carve out a regular audience inside the Switch 2’s home screen. The feature has the ingredients — integrated chat, camera support, and instant gameplay feeds — it just needs players to show up.

If Nintendo follows this with meaningful updates or tie-ins to major releases, that C Button might finally earn a permanent spot in players’ muscle memory. Until then, a hundred points and a few fresh icons might be enough reason to give GameChat a look — whether intentionally or after yet another missed Home button press.