Vivox, the communications platform that powers games like Fortnite and League of Legends, is releasing a SDK that gives Nintendo Switch developers the ability to use the company’s text and voice chat tools in their own multiplayer games.
It’s a welcome utility for devs working with the console since Nintendo’s flagship system isn’t exactly known for intuitive voice chat options, even for the company’s first-party games like Splatoon 2.
According to VentureBeat, Vivox’s tech also offers support for cross-platform play right out of the box, a feature that is creeping up more and more for multiplayer games, with games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Rocket League now offering cross-console play on several systems.
Vivox itself was recently acquired by Unity, though the Switch SDK itself had been in the works months before that agreement came to be. Vivox also notably offers up its tools for free to smaller developers, so long as less than 5,000 players are logged in to that Vivox-using game at once. More information on that program and Vivox itself can be found on the platform’s website.