Voice features seem to be included, and I automatically join voice channels, but I don’t know how to use it. It doesn’t appear that the game leverages the phone app Nintendo built for this purpose, or at least if it does, the game doesn’t mention this anywhere.
Obviously the console doesn’t have a mic built in. Can I plug in generic USB microphones or headsets?
You need a headset something similar to like razer kraken pro v2 .it has one 3.5 mm audio jack for both headphone and microphone .
Any headset with a 3.5 mm headset jack (see pictured) will plug into the audio jack for the console for voice chat that is operated by Blizzard’s BattleNet voice service.
Switch supports USB keyboards, is text chat also possible this way?
Ya you don’t need the phone app or the phone for VS with Overwatch. Basically Blizzard runs the VC for nintendo as far as I can tell. Epic did this with fortnight on switch and I think overwatch is second game to do this (no app)
So i can only use voice in handheld mode?
You use it in either. plug any 3.5 mm audio headphones into the switch and they will work. For example apple headphones have a tiny mic in them and even that would work. No phone app. nothing technical. Just plug in and it works.
The 3.5mm jack is ON TOP of the dock / switch so you can use it in docked or undocked.