'Fortnite' Switch Voice Chat: You Don't Need the Annoying Switch Online App

Normally, when Nintendo Switch owners want to chat with members of their party in online games like Splatoon 2, they have to use an annoying secondary app on their smartphones called Nintendo Switch Online, but one huge thing that Fortnite has going for it is a built-in party chat in its version for the Nintendo Switch.

Fortnite for Nintendo Switch surprise-released on Tuesday during the Nintendo E3 showcase. Party chat for the port isn’t active just yet, but a representative from Epic Games has already confirmed that it’s coming later this week.

So how will it work exactly?

All players will have to do is plug a set of headphones with a microphone into the Nintendo Switch and party chat will function much like it would in other games. In theory, you could even use Bluetooth headphones with a Bluetooth transmitter that has an audio-in jack, but that sounds like a lot of work.

Here’s a representative from Epic Games at E3 2018 confirming chat:

Pretty much every other multiplayer game for the Nintendo Switch relies on the Nintendo Switch Online app or other services like Discord. Fortnite having built-in chat is actually kind of a big deal because it means that the Switch, in general, is moving in a direction where it will better support online multiplayer games as a result.

As great as all this is for Fortnite on Switch, there’s still the whole fiasco that doesn’t allow players who started on PlayStation 4 to use their Epic Games accounts on the Nintendo Switch. that doesn’t allow players who started on PlayStation 4 to use their Epic Games accounts on the Nintendo Switch.

Supposedly, the in-built party chat for Fortnite on Nintendo Switch won’t be active until Thursday, June 14. Which means it’ll probably roll out with the usual weekly Battle Pass reset at 4 a.m. Eastern.