If you can't connect to the voice server in We Were Here on Nintendo Switch or experience other voice/game server-related issues, we recommend you to go over the list of solutions below.
- Make sure you have a good and stable internet connection, preferably by cable.
- Make sure that you play in a region that is supported by the game.
- If you are located in Russia, keep in mind that Photon Engine has dropped Russian servers, so you will need to use a VPN to be able to play.
- The countries: Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and sometimes Iraq, have placed restrictions on the voice servers we use. When you get the pop-up window saying “the connection to the voice server failed”, you can select “cancel” and should be able to bypass this window to continue playing after that. You will need to use a third party app for communication.
- If you are using a VPN, you can try switching regions. Keep in mind that our games are not made to support VPN connections and we cannot guarantee a smooth gameplay experience.
- Public networks (university / campus / library) often have restrictions that block our voice servers.
- It could also be that your router is blocking voice chat. In order to fix this, you could try to open these ports:
- https://doc.photonengine.com/en-us/realtime/current/connection-and-authentication/tcp-and-udp-port-numbers
- https://support.unity.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407491745940-Vivox-What-IPs-and-ports-are-required-for-Vivox-V5-to-work-
- How to port forward: https://www.hellotech.com/guide/for/how-to-port-forward
- Make sure you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription to be able to play online with another player.
- Check your Nintendo Switch for any pending updates and update the device.
- Try docking your Nintendo Switch and using an Ethernet cable to see if this improves your connection issues.
- Make sure your NAT type is set to A or B.
- Enable UPnP in your router's settings. To do this, you'll need to log into your router. We recommend Googling your router's model for instructions.
- Change your DNS settings for an improved connection. Go to System Settings → System → Formatting Options → Clear Cache (choose your user profile). Then go to Internet Settings → Current Network → Change Settings, and set DNS manually to: Primary: 8.8.8.8 and Secondary: 8.8.4.4.
- Set up a DMZ for your Switch's IP address: in your router's advanced settings, find the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) option. Assign your Switch's local IP address to the DMZ. This gives the Switch direct internet access, but only do this if your Switch is the only device you are placing in the DMZ.
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Port Forwarding: This is a more advanced method where you manually open specific ports on your router. You can find the ports your Switch uses in the console's advanced network settings. Forward these ports to your Switch's local IP address. Nintendo's recommended ports:
- TCP: 6667, 12400, 28910, 29900, 29901, 29920
- UDP: 45000-65535 (or 1-65535 as a broader range)
