Nintendo Switch Software Update Adds Bluetooth Audio Support

[TheLostSwede]

The Nintendo Switch has without a doubt been a huge success for the company, but the portable gaming console has been missing a key feature, namely Bluetooth audio support. This has finally been addressed by Nintendo, courtesy of a software update that was in a software update that was released today.

However, it's not exactly what everyone was waiting for, as for some reason Nintendo only added support for audio output. This means that if you want to use voice chat, you'll still have to use a wired headset or a third party Bluetooth dongle, which seems to slightly defeat the purpose of this update. Another oddity is that wireless headsets/headphones can't be used at the same time as you play local wireless games, as they would be automatically disconnected in such a scenario. Up to 10 Bluetooth devices can be remembered by the Switch, but only one can be used at a time.



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[Aquinus]

Honestly, I thought that this was one of the biggest oversights by Nintendo. I'm glad that they at least addressed it for the majority of situations. Took long enough though.

 

[Vya Domus]

Wait, this didn't have support for Bluetooth headphone until now ? Holy crap.

 

[Cheeseball]

That's the weird limitation of the Bluetooth codecs. Due to the limited bandwidth, you would need to limit how many devices can connect at once.

Its the same thing when you try to use a Bluetooth headset with the standard Windows codecs. If you use the headset just for audio-only, you get higher quality since the bandwidth is dedicated for that. However once you enable audio input (microphone), the quality would either drop or disconnect the audio output in order to handle the duplex connection. Wireless-headsets (which use some sort of WiFi direct over 2.4 GHz) overcomes this, but with the limitation of being locked in to a dedicated USB dongle, which provides greater bandwidth.

EDIT: Yup, just confirmed its a limitation of the A2DP profile in the Bluetooth standard.

EDIT 2: The PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series also have this same limitation.

EDIT 3: While this article does not say anything about Nintendo's limitation with BT, it does explain why BT is limited in the first place.

 

[BorisDG]

PS5 update, Switch update... next week comes iOS and iPadOS 15 ... damn

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'd rather have a 3.5mm headphone jack all-day-long! Still, this is an improvement.

 

[TheLostSwede]

That's the weird limitation of the Bluetooth codecs. Due to the limited bandwidth, you would need to limit how many devices can connect at once.

Its the same thing when you try to use a Bluetooth headset with the standard Windows codecs. If you use the headset just for audio-only, you get higher quality since the bandwidth is dedicated for that. However once you enable audio input (microphone), the quality would either drop or disconnect the audio output in order to handle the duplex connection. Wireless-headsets (which use some sort of WiFi direct over 2.4 GHz) overcomes this, but with the limitation of being locked in to a dedicated USB dongle, which provides greater bandwidth.

EDIT: Yup, just confirmed its a limitation of the A2DP profile in the Bluetooth standard.

EDIT 2: The PS4/PS5 and Xbox One/Series also have this same limitation.

EDIT 3: While this article does not say anything about Nintendo's limitation with BT, it does explain why BT is limited in the first place.

Maybe Nintendo should've gone for something slightly better than the most basic Bluetooth audio codec then?
I mean, this is not an issue on most Bluetooth headsets today and you'd think a company like Nintendo could do better. The Switch is by all accounts based on Android and Android phones can do stereo audio and mic at the same time.
In all fairness, Bluetooth audio is a mess and there are far too many proprietary standards being used that are locked into single brands, which is just annoying.
Bluetooth 5.x should solve some of these issues, but not all of them.

I'd rather have a 3.5mm headphone jack all-day-long! Still, this is an improvement.

Yeah, so would I, but we're apparently not most people, wires have become a thing of evil...

 

[watzupken]

They finally enabled Bluetooth support for earphones/ headphones after so many years? Goodness me.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Maybe Nintendo should've gone for something slightly better than the most basic Bluetooth audio codec then?
I mean, this is not an issue on most Bluetooth headsets today and you'd think a company like Nintendo could do better. The Switch is by all accounts based on Android and Android phones can do stereo audio and mic at the same time.
In all fairness, Bluetooth audio is a mess and there are far too many proprietary standards being used that are locked into single brands, which is just annoying.
Bluetooth 5.x should solve some of these issues, but not all of them.


Yeah, so would I, but we're apparently not most people, wires have become a thing of evil...

The Switch was being developed back in 2015. At the time there were not other bluetooth audio codecs to work with. BT5 came out a whopping 3 months before the switch was on store shelves, too late to include in the spec.

Perhaps if it hadnt taken a decade to get halfway decent audio codecs into bluetooth they could have been included.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Yeah, so would I, but we're apparently not most people, wires have become a thing of evil...

True! We have more common sense/brain cells than most trendy types...

 

[TheLostSwede]

True! We have more common sense/brain cells than most trendy types...

Or maybe we're just old and used to it?

 

[aktpu]

I'd rather have a 3.5mm headphone jack all-day-long! Still, this is an improvement.

Switch has a 3.5mm jack

 

[Valantar]

Lol, this happens just a few months after I got my Genki BT adapter. I'll likely keep using it judging by the audio codecs in use here, though native support is nice to have as a fallback option if nothing else.

I'd rather have a 3.5mm headphone jack all-day-long! Still, this is an improvement.

I agree with that, and I use wired headphones at my desk and anywhere else where it isn't very inconvenient (including with the Switch on the couch if I'm not using the TV), but if I'm out travelling the last thing I want to deal with when cramped into a too-tight plane seat or juggling luggage, food and everything else one tends to juggle when travelling, is a wire tethering my head to either my phone or my Switch. The ability to keep my phone in my pocket/the seat pocket, or put down my switch without considering that it might pull my head along with it? That does make for a much nicer experience. I would think the same applies if your commute has you switching buses/trains/whatever as well - far less risk of getting that wire snagged on something and damaging the headphones as stuff is removed from and put back into bags, backpacks, etc. I doubt I'll ever leave wired headphones behind for desk use, but for anything that's out and about, wireless is just a massive UX improvement. And it's not like the audio quality difference is going to be noticeable in any realistic not-at-home usage scenario either, except possibly in a quiet library or something similar.

Yeah, so would I, but we're apparently not most people, wires have become a thing of evil...

Not evil, just another point of failure, and one prone to failure. Most consumer headphones don't come with replaceable wires, which makes them essentially disposable, sadly. Plus a major inconvenience for physical movement (and no, "being careful" doesn't fix this, as needing to consider this in the first place is exactly that kind of inconvenicene, forcing you to focus on your headphone wires rather than whatever you're supposed to be doing). 3.5mm jacks are still fantastic in many way, but they're a poor fit for very dynamic situations.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Not evil, just another point of failure, and one prone to failure. Plus a major inconvenience for physical movement (and no, "being careful" doesn't fix this, as needing to consider this in the first place is exactly that kind of inconvenicene, forcing you to focus on your headphone wires rather than whatever you're supposed to be doing). 3.5mm jacks are still fantastic in many way, but they're a poor fit for very dynamic situations.

I don't remember when I last had a pair of headphone wired fail on me. I've managed to damage my in-ears/headphones by forgetting them in my pocket and the pants then going into the washing machine and I've had broken head straps, but only very cheap headphones has had cable issues.
Sure, it's nice to have wireless headphones, I have a pair of Sony's that I use when I fly, because of the noise cancelling and a wireless headset with my computer (not really needed in all fairness), but my in-ears are good old fashioned wired.
The audio quality of Bluetooth is still lacking and Bluetooth 5.x didn't really fix that, despite offering more available bandwidth, as the Bluetooth SIG doesn't seem to be willing to dictate a uniform high-quality Bluetooth audio standard, for some reason.

 

[Valantar]

I don't remember when I last had a pair of headphone wired fail on me. I've managed to damage my in-ears/headphones by forgetting them in my pocket and the pants then going into the washing machine and I've had broken head straps, but only very cheap headphones has had cable issues.
Sure, it's nice to have wireless headphones, I have a pair of Sony's that I use when I fly, because of the noise cancelling and a wireless headset with my computer (not really needed in all fairness), but my in-ears are good old fashioned wired.
The audio quality of Bluetooth is still lacking and Bluetooth 5.x didn't really fix that, despite offering more available bandwidth, as the Bluetooth SIG doesn't seem to be willing to dictate a uniform high-quality Bluetooth audio standard, for some reason.

I completely agree that the quality is lacking, but as I said, you're not likely to notice that once you're in even a moderately noisy environment. As for cables: I guess you're very careful? I haven't got a clue how many headphones I've RMA'd (or refused an RMA on, depending on the warranty terms and degree of visible wear) for either crackling audio or one/both speakers no longer working due to wire wear. This is a very, very common issue. I guess it also depends on what constitutes "very cheap" headphones for you? Sleeved cabling is more durable, and of course cheaper stuff uses thinner cabling too. But I've seen so many expensive consumer brands (Beats especially, but Sennheiser, Philips and lots of others too) with wires that just fail under relatively normal usage. Typically it's due to twisting around the 3.5mm plug causing internal wire breakages. I've had the same happen with several of my own sets of in-ears (typically in the NOK 600-1000 range), including ones that saw no accidental damage and were always kept in the included pouch/case when not in use. I see no real value in wireless headphones for (non-portable) console or PC usage, but anything else? Sure.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I completely agree that the quality is lacking, but as I said, you're not likely to notice that once you're in even a moderately noisy environment. As for cables: I guess you're very careful? I haven't got a clue how many headphones I've RMA'd (or refused an RMA on, depending on the warranty terms and degree of visible wear) for either crackling audio or one/both speakers no longer working due to wire wear. This is a very, very common issue. I guess it also depends on what constitutes "very cheap" headphones for you? Sleeved cabling is more durable, and of course cheaper stuff uses thinner cabling too. But I've seen so many expensive consumer brands (Beats especially, but Sennheiser, Philips and lots of others too) with wires that just fail under relatively normal usage. Typically it's due to twisting around the 3.5mm plug causing internal wire breakages. I've had the same happen with several of my own sets of in-ears (typically in the NOK 600-1000 range), including ones that saw no accidental damage and were always kept in the included pouch/case when not in use. I see no real value in wireless headphones for (non-portable) console or PC usage, but anything else? Sure.

Very careful
Nah man, I usually keep my in-ears in my pocket, albeit in a puch for the last couple of ones, since they came with one. I don't really treat my in-ears as well as I should I guess, but still no issues.
The amount of times I yank my in-ears out by accident on stuff, you'd think I would have done some serious damage to them, but not so far.
The worst is on airplanes and up until the pandemic I was flying long-haul at least half a dozen times every year, you get caught in all sorts of weird crap you didn't even know was there. I guess the Sony's help there, but if you want to use them with the inflight entertainment system, you got to use the cable so...
The last time I think I had an issue with crackling was before I moved to Taiwan.
My last six pairs of in-ears have all been around US$100, the most recent one being around US$300.
I did drop the third most recent one in a taxi, very annoying...
I've had a pair of Philips SHE9850's, two pairs of UE 600's (since I washed one pair), one pair of each of Sony XBA-1, XBA-10 and now the XBA-300.
None of those have had issues with the cables and all of them have gone in a pocket when not used.
Maybe I've just been lucky.

Way off topic now though.

 

[Vya Domus]

Its the same thing when you try to use a Bluetooth headset with the standard Windows codecs. If you use the headset just for audio-only, you get higher quality since the bandwidth is dedicated for that. However once you enable audio input (microphone), the quality would either drop or disconnect the audio output in order to handle the duplex connection.

I don't think it's related to bandwidth. You're right that if you enable the microphone the quality drops off the cliff but when I disable the microphone and connect my phone to use as microphone the audio stays the same and now I also have a microphone input stream on the same Bluetooth adapter. So it's strictly a communication protocol thing not a physical bandwidth limitation.

 

[Steevo]

The Switch was being developed back in 2015. At the time there were not other bluetooth audio codecs to work with. BT5 came out a whopping 3 months before the switch was on store shelves, too late to include in the spec.

Perhaps if it hadnt taken a decade to get halfway decent audio codecs into bluetooth they could have been included.

You realize we are taking about Nintendo here, they easily could have added a proprietary stack and sold more hardware, that was the real oversight, and I bet that’s why it’s a meh attempt to give something for free, that’s going to be followed up with something proprietary.

 

[StaticVapour]

True! We have more common sense/brain cells than most trendy types...

I had bluetooth headphones some years back for a while. Never again.. Signal dropping out, hassle to pair sometimes and need of recharging. Bluetooth works well in my car though

Having good speakers, headphones and IEMs paired with good amplifier, cables can be only pried from my cold, dead hands

 

[Space Lynx]

Honestly, I thought that this was one of the biggest oversights by Nintendo. I'm glad that they at least addressed it for the majority of situations. Took long enough though.

I don't own a Switch, my niece did for awhile, I didn't like the screen on it. So never gave it a chance. My Switch OLED arrives October 11th, was lucky enough to get a pre-order in. Looking forward to it. OLED is going to make Nintendo games feel next gen. lol

 

[R0H1T]

I bet that’s why it’s a meh attempt to give something for free

I'm thinking it has at least something to do with the Steam deck & other handheld alternatives that are popping up, oh btw did I mention this phone that's 50% faster than umm well whatever the fruit vendor was comparing it against

 

[TheLostSwede]

I had bluetooth headphones some years back for a while. Never again.. Signal dropping out, hassle to pair sometimes and need of recharging. Bluetooth works well in my car though

Having good speakers, headphones and IEMs paired with good amplifier, cables can be only pried from my cold, dead hands

Most of that has been fixed with better technology. Charging, not so much, if you're going for earbuds.

 

[StaticVapour]

Most of that has been fixed with better technology. Charging, not so much, if you're going for earbuds.

Yup I have seen all kind of codecs coming from left and right.

 

[Tartaros]

Better late than never I suppose.

 

[Cheeseball]

Maybe Nintendo should've gone for something slightly better than the most basic Bluetooth audio codec then?
I mean, this is not an issue on most Bluetooth headsets today and you'd think a company like Nintendo could do better. The Switch is by all accounts based on Android and Android phones can do stereo audio and mic at the same time.
In all fairness, Bluetooth audio is a mess and there are far too many proprietary standards being used that are locked into single brands, which is just annoying.
Bluetooth 5.x should solve some of these issues, but not all of them.


Yeah, so would I, but we're apparently not most people, wires have become a thing of evil...

Even with BT 5.1, its still limited. aptX and AAC are proprietary and both still have noticeable latency (even with aptX-LL). LDAC is Sony's version and is also higher latency than the two. SBC is the "open" protocol but has yet to have improvements on the latency-side of things, which BT 5.1 tries to get it down to around 60ms.

EDIT: FastStream would probably be perfect for the Switch. The problem is that this codec is proprietary to Creative.

I don't think it's related to bandwidth. You're right that if you enable the microphone the quality drops off the cliff but when I disable the microphone and connect my phone to use as microphone the audio stays the same and now I also have a microphone input stream on the same Bluetooth adapter. So it's strictly a communication protocol thing not a physical bandwidth limitation.

You also need to take into consideration the bandwidth of the wireless gamepad controls that is also connecting over BT. While those are not huge chunks of data by any means (literal bytes of data), its still being shared alongside audio data which amazingly can constrain the 2Mbps/3Mbps max bandwidth. MS and Sony do some weird trick (alongside BT 2.1+EDR for the PS4 controllers) to transfer all that data near-seamlessly.

EDIT: Sony uses their own ATRAC9 codec in the PS4 (and I think the PS5 as well).