Nintendo's Piranha Plant Switch 2 camera is on sale again, but please heed my words and ignore it

The Nintendo Switch 2 Piranha Plant is cute, I can’t deny that.

Just the other day, when I pulled it out from the depths of my all-in-one case that stores the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, a friend caught a glimpse of its adorable little teethy grin and rejoiced. I typically use these moments to join in on my friends’ appreciation of my Ninty gadgets, but I instead, I felt the immediate need to exclaim, “please don’t buy one.”

The conversation topic quickly changed, but had I had more time, I would have followed it up with, “the first-party Switch 2 camera is more worth your cash.” Not only does it sport a 1080p image resolution over the Piranha Plant’s 480p, but it’s now just £29.95 at Amazon today, a far cry from its £49 launch price. While I can’t go back in time to finish my conversation, I can at least tell you now that it’s the better Switch 2 camera pick if you care more about substance over style.

When I made the decision to buy Hori’s Piranha Plant camera for myself, I wasn’t fully prepared for just how dire the quality would be. I had made sure to test it alongside Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV in the morning in a fully lit room, with even a ring light shining in my face for good measure, and yet my partner and I still looked like big, blurry messes.

It at least gave us something to chuckle about, but I was pretty annoyed as I had spent around £25 for a Switch 2 camera that was practically useless. Today, it’s down to £22.95 (Amazon), and even then, I’d still recommend against it. Instead, I wish I had chosen the official Switch 2 version, but its price and plain design put me off.

I had already spent around £20 on an accessory that I was unlikely ever to use again, so I didn’t want to add £49.99 on top of that. At least now, at £29.95, it feels far more reasonable for a 1080p camera, especially as Star Fox is incoming, which provides plenty more opportunities besides Mario Party to put its features to the test, thanks to its V-Tuber-style Game Chat compatibility.

Sure, its plain and all-black design is still pretty boring to look at. There’s no Super Mario baddie aesthetic or warp-pipe base, but I’d much rather my Switch 2 camera be able to do its job than look the part.

With Nintendo Switch Prime Day deals right around the corner, there’s every chance that the prices for both cameras could drop in price even further. When I grabbed the Hori Piranha Plant Switch 2 camera for myself last year, I only spent around £21.12, which is its lowest price ever in the UK, according to my handy CamelCamelCamel price checker, and it very likely could return to a similar price when the sales kick off on June 23.

Even then, I’d still recommend the official Switch 2 camera over Hori’s alternative, no matter if both see record lows at Amazon during the US or UK Prime Day celebrations. Better yet, I recommend sticking to any compatible USB-C camera you already have at your disposal and saving some cash for any incoming Switch 2 game savings instead.

• View all Nintendo Switch gaming deals at Amazon

Looking for more bargains? Check out our guides to the best Prime Day PS5 deals, and the best Prime Day gaming deals to be clued up on early savings on games, controllers, headsets and more.