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The Hori Piranha Plant Switch 2 camera is less than $59.99 for the first time, but I still don't want to add it to my Ninty setup. Yes, it's incredibly adorable, and I love the fact that opening and closing its mouth acts as its privacy screen - what a stroke of Super Mario design genius.
However, its new low price of $39.99 at Amazon is still a hard sell for a camera that only has a 480p resolution. With just standard definition to play around with, I'd just appear as a pixelated, blurry mess in camera-supported games like Super Mario Party Jamboree. I grew up in the 90s, so trust me that I've had my fair share of dealing with low-quality webcams to last me a lifetime, and no amount of cute Super Mario aesthetics can convince me otherwise.
There is a lot to love about this Switch accessory, that I can't deny. Outside of the fact that it replicates one of the most iconic Super Mario baddies in the franchise, I love that the Piranha Plant's stem is actually functional and can be adjusted so you can get more in-frame in games like Mario Kart World.
Its mouth privacy screen, which I briefly touched on earlier, is undoubtedly one of my favorite features, but I love the fact that you can actually remove the plant from its Mario pipe base more. Popping it out from its warp-pipe stand means you can use it while in handheld mode, as the bottom of the plant's stem fits into the USB-C port at the top of the handheld.
The official Switch 2 camera, the one I'd much rather have hooked up to my own Ninty gaming handheld, can also be used in handheld mode, but its setup is a lot more tedious. With the Nintendo camera, you still need to have a flat surface at the ready to stand it on, so the Piranha Plant does have a one-up over its competition, other than its bright and colour Super Mario design.
The official Switch 2 camera is available for $54 at Amazon, and while its received no discounts so far, adding it to your wishlist will mean you can stay alerted of any future price drops.
If I were to grab the camera for its new discounted price, over waiting for the 1080p Nintendo version to see a discount of its own, that would mean saving $20 that can be put towards more Switch accessories, and even some upcoming Switch 2 games, as Pokémon Z-A is right around the corner. Yet, no matter how big the savings, I just can't bring it to myself to add a 480p camera to my gaming setup in a world where 1080p is so commonplace.
If I had a little Nintendo fan in my life who wanted to GameChat with their friends, I'd then consider picking this up. I can only imagine how fun this Hori camera would be in the hands of a smaller and younger fan. However, as an adult and the only big Nintendo fan in the house, I'm going to keep an eye on the plain, old Switch 2 camera instead and hope that it and its 1080p goodness finally gets a debut discount of its own.
- View all Switch 2 camera deals at Amazon
- Hori USB Switch 2 camera: $59.99 at Amazon
Check out our ultimate Switch 2 starter pack and our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express cards, the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and the best Nintendo Switch headsets to complete your new Ninty gaming setup.
