Overall, this camera is well designed. It’s incredibly compact and lightweight, so it easily fits into a premium bag, like the Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case. The camera can also be tilted to your liking, there’s an effective privacy shutter, and it has a stylish, if simple, black finish.
Sure, it doesn’t have the pizzazz of the Hori Piranha Plant Camera for Nintendo Switch 2 – that model’s main selling point – but if you’re looking for something discreet then it’s not bad at all.
But with regret, this is where my praise for Hori’s Nintendo Switch 2 accessories begins to run dry. For what? If you’re looking for high performance, Hori’s USB camera isn’t for you.
It has the same specifications as the Piranha Plant camera, meaning it offers 480p resolution. Yes, it’s the same quality we saw on the Nintendo DSi, released in 2008. Ouch.
This low resolution means that the overall image quality is pretty poor. The camera blurred my face, making finer details like lines on my face and individual hairs appear angular and out of focus.
If you use the camera in TV mode and sit at a distance, the limitations are even greater at 480p. A logo on my clothes faded to a blob and everything in my room lacked clarity.
Even colors appear washed out and lack the saturation and realistic tone you’re hoping for. When I switched to the official 1080p Nintendo Switch 2 camera, these issues became even more apparent.
I was immediately impressed by the bolder colors on this model, with the bright red of a Switch 2 game box and the soft pink of the flowers in my living room being a real feast for the eyes. Sure, my face still wasn’t particularly clear from a distance, but it looked a lot less blurry than with the Hori USB camera.
Another little thing. The Hori USB camera’s field of view isn’t fantastic. At 85 degrees it fits the picture quite well, but again, the 110 degrees you get from the official Switch 2 camera is much better optimized for those who want to keep an eye on four or more players, for example.
However, I would like to make one thing clear. Despite its low resolution and relatively limited field of view, the Hori USB camera is at least functional.
I didn’t experience any bugs or compatibility issues, performance at 30fps was pretty consistent, and my face tracked pretty well while gaming. Mario Kart World.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Hori’s USB camera is generally slightly cheaper than the official Switch 2 camera. Although this model has a list price of $59.99 / £29.99 / AU$64.95, I’m already seeing it cheaper with some online retailers selling it for less than $35 / £20 / AU$45. Meanwhile, the official camera has launched for $54.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.95 and is usually available full price in the US – although I’ve seen it for under £30 in the UK and AU$60 in Australia.
Is this model worth buying then? Well, for most people I’m tempted to say no.
There are some obvious issues, like poor image quality and poor color reproduction, but it’s also worth noting that there aren’t many games that support the camera feature. Some titles – like Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TVAnd Mario Kart World –There are segments that use video, but the list of supported software is currently sparse.
If you simply need a functional, easy-to-use camera, then this model is for you. It is a little cheaper than the official model and is also pleasantly flexible. But the Piranha Plant alternative is similarly priced and has a fun factor that the USB camera lacks, meaning it ends up being quite a hard sell.
