New Pokémon Snap is a joyous adventure through the natural world of Pokémon, and a must-have for any Nintendo Switch owner who loves to catch ’em all. And while the game offers near-endless delights while letting you play as a budding Pokémon photographer, New Pokémon Snap also has its shortcomings. These include speaking parts for characters like Phil and Rita.
I am not a fan of Phil, the game’s jealous rival photog, or the overly chipper Rita. And for as much as I enjoy Professor Mirror’s absent-minded professor qualities, hearing him say “Nice work” and “A new discovery!” a dozen times in a row starts to grate — especially after 30-plus hours of game time.
Thankfully, you can turn off the voices completely in New Pokémon Snap for a little peace and quiet. (The option exists to use Japanese-language voices as well, but I found it less calming than total silence.)
To permanently mute Phil, Rita, Professor Mirror, and friends, go to Settings > Sound > Language for Character Voices > No voices.
If you’d also prefer to hear from Phil and the gang less frequently during your trips across the Lental Region, you can also adjust the number pop-up messages from folks back at camp. That means fewer comments from Phil about how he’s going to get a better shot of Pinsir next time and how you shouldn’t have gotten that shot of Scorbunny (but also no warnings from Prof. Mirror if you’re about to run out of memory). Go to Settings > Game > Nav-Com, where you can choose from Often (the normal rate of bothersome messages), Sometimes (an occasional nudge), and Rarely (sweet silence).
For more helpful hints on how to make your Lental journey more pleasant, check out Polygon’s New Pokémon Snap guides.