Nintendo Switch 2 Keeps Friend Codes, Adds QR Code Friend Feature via Mobile App

Nintendo Switch 2 Keeps Friend Codes, Adds QR Code Friend Feature via Mobile App With anticipation building for the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025, Nintendo has confirmed an important update to its online friend system.

Despite ongoing criticism over their complexity, Friend Codes will continue to be the primary method for adding friends on Switch 2.

However, Nintendo is introducing a new, more convenient option that leverages the official Nintendo Switch mobile app: the ability to add friends by scanning QR codes. Friend Codes, a longstanding staple of Nintendo's online ecosystem, require users to enter a unique 12-digit number to add friends.

Compared to the username-based systems available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, many players have found this method cumbersome and outdated.

The arrival of the Switch 2 brings only incremental change in this area, but it does signal Nintendo's awareness of user feedback and its willingness to offer incremental improvements. The announcement was shared by Bill Trinen, Vice President of Player and Product Experience at Nintendo of America, in a recent interview with Polygon.

According to Trinen, Switch 2 will allow players to add friends by simply scanning QR codes using the Nintendo Switch mobile app.

Trinen emphasized that these improvements are tied to GameChat, the platform’s new integrated voice and video chat service, available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) subscribers.

He noted that streamlining the friend-adding process is essential, especially as GameChat aims to replicate the social experience of playing together in the same physical room. "It's important that online features embrace the social side of gaming," Trinen explained to Polygon, highlighting the team's goal of making friend connections quicker and more intuitive alongside the launch of robust voice and video chat capabilities. The switch to QR codes, while not a radical departure, reflects a meaningful step in modernizing Nintendo’s online experience.

Still, players must use the Nintendo Switch mobile app to access the QR code feature, leaving the original Friend Code system intact for those who prefer traditional methods or don’t use the app.

This approach echoes previous digital integrations, such as the recently announced Zelda Notes functionality, which lets users share and access gameplay insights for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2. With the Nintendo Switch 2 set to arrive this June, the company is clearly signaling an intent to evolve its digital and social offering.

As players gear up for a new generation of Nintendo hardware, convenient innovations like QR code friend-adding—supported by enhanced features such as GameChat—could encourage wider adoption of the Nintendo Switch app and optimize the multiplayer experience for long-time fans and newcomers alike. For more news and updates about Nintendo Switch 2, stay tuned to official Nintendo channels and gaming industry news resources.

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