In the lead-up to the hotly anticipated June 5th release of Nintendo’s next-generation console, the Switch 2, parents have been getting a closer look at exactly how much control they’ll have over their children’s online interactions. This week, Nintendo quietly rolled out version 2.0.0 of its Switch Parental Controls app—bringing full Switch 2 support and, crucially, a suite of new settings for the console’s built-in GameChat feature.

If your household includes a gamer under the age of 16, you’ll find that GameChat has become a much more managed experience. Under the new parental limits, young players can only join voice or video chats with friends you’ve explicitly approved. “It’s only possible for players under 16 to use GameChat with friends who have been approved by their parent or guardian,” Nintendo confirms on its Switch Parental Controls app landing page. In practice, that means each friend request for a youth account must first ping your smartphone, giving you the chance to vet each contact.

Beyond simple approvals, the app also lets you leave personal notes on each friend. If you’ve ever had to remind yourself whether “Lance” is from soccer practice or the kid next door, those annotations can be a lifesaver later on. And if you’ve ever worried about what channels your child is tuning into, you’ll appreciate the detailed GameChat history: the app logs every chat session, who was involved, and how long it lasted.

Nintendo has been particularly cautious about GameChat’s video functionality. When a youngster under 16 attempts a video call, the app won’t let them proceed until a fresh approval is granted—every single time. As the company puts it, “Permission is required from a parent or guardian every time younger players want to use video chat to ensure family rules about use of video sharing are followed.” That on-the-fly authorization model means no unexpected group calls and no surprise camera moments.

This update doesn’t just add switch-flipping controls for GameChat. Version 2.0.0 expands play-time tracking, letting you fine-tune daily limits, set custom bedtimes (for instance, “no gaming after 9 pm until 8 am”), and receive alerts when play sessions exceed your thresholds. You can even view a breakdown of which games your children have been enjoying and for how long—perfect for spotting that “just one more level” loophole.

While the Parental Controls app stole the spotlight this week, Nintendo also quietly upgraded its main Switch mobile app just in time for the Switch 2 launch. Streaming screenshots and video clips from your console to your phone is now faster and more reliable, letting you share epic in-game moments without rummaging for a USB cable. On top of that, specific editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom—tweaked for the beefier hardware—are getting extended menus and performance monitors right in the app, making it easier to manage your save files and in-game screenshots.

GameChat marks Nintendo’s most ambitious communication update since the Wii U’s smartphone-dependent chat system—one that earned more frustration than praise for its complexity. By baking voice and video chat directly into the Switch 2 and giving parents granular oversight, Nintendo seems to be hedging its bets: modernizing how we play together online while acknowledging concerns over children’s digital safety.

For families weighing screen time, these features could be the tipping point. Parents gain visibility into who their kids are talking to and what they’re sharing, while younger gamers still get to enjoy the social perks of online play—with guardrails in place. And for Nintendo, this strategy aligns with its reputation for family-friendly design: prioritizing simplicity, safety, and fun, all at once.

As we count down the final days to Switch 2’s launch, it’s clear that Nintendo is leaning on its parental-control pedigree to differentiate this console generation. Between the robust GameChat permissions, detailed activity logs, and improved media sharing, the Switch 2 may be one of the most family-focused gaming systems yet—no matter which side of the controller you’re on.