The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 is accompanied by a bunch of new console-enhancing accessories. However, while new games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are almost guaranteed to be a hit, one accessory in particular might be a letdown—the Hori Piranha Plant Camera.

Even though it looks really cute, this third-party camera doesn’t measure up to the official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera in picture quality. Video resolution is the kind of thing that makes or breaks a webcam, and this Hori Piranha Plant Camera feels a decade old. The official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera records video in 1080p, which means sharp, clear images. But the Hori Piranha Plant Camera, while less expensive, only records at 480p.

That’s a big drop in resolution for a small difference in price. A 480p stream will look far less detailed than 1080p, especially after being processed through the heavy-handed compression algorithm that Nintendo is using for video chat. If you use this camera for video chats, your picture won’t look nearly as good as it would with the official one (or with a generic 1080p webcam).

There are currently no U.S. listings for the Hori Piranha Plant Camera, but the U.K. version costs £33.99, which is approximately $43.47 USD. For comparison, the official Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is listed at $49.99 at Target. (U.S. pricing for these webcams may vary at launch, depending on how Nintendo deals with tariffs.)

That said, the Piranha Plant Camera does have some good points. Its biggest selling feature is its fun design—it looks like a cute, playful Piranha Plant from the Mario games. It’s also very flexible in how you can set it up. It comes with a warp pipe stand that can sit on a desk or clip onto a TV. You can also take the Piranha Plant off the stand and plug it directly into the Switch 2’s USB-C port if you’re playing in handheld mode. Plus, the Piranha Plant’s mouth can close, sort of like a clever privacy cover.

To me, these fun features don’t make up for awful camera quality. It’s too bad to ignore, and a cute character won’t make up for it. Anyone who wants clear, reasonably high-quality video chats shouldn’t get this camera. Nintendo says that generic USB webcams will work with the Switch 2, so buy one of those instead.

The Piranha Plant Camera is meant to be used with the Switch 2’s new GameChat feature, which lets players talk, share screens, and even use motion controls in some games. GameChat sounds like a great idea, but the Hori camera’s poor resolution could hold it back. Being able to share screens and use motion controls with a camera is exciting, but it only works well if the camera’s video is good enough.

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Nintendo is trying to avoid the mistakes of past camera accessories like the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Eye, which never really caught on. Nintendo’s approach is different because it relies on existing hardware instead of forcing players to buy a new accessory, but the camera’s quality still matters a lot.

For $29.99 on Amazon, you can get the 2K Quad HD Webcam with Privacy Cover with a USB B to C adapter instead. If you own a webcam, you can just buy an Anker USB C Adapter (2 Pack) for $15.99 on Amazon to plug into your Nintendo Switch 2. There may be issues that come with adapting other USB webcams, but the point is that there are other options besides that 480p Switch 2 camera.

Source: Nintendo via TechRadar