Hardware Voice chat options revealed

grossaffe

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yeah i am aware. what device btw, in the perfect world you don't need anything..
the switch can connect to the phone wirelessly (it has bluetooth and wifi so..) and output the sound via the phone so you can use your headset connected to the phone.
but keep in mind they are always 5 years behind. i don't believe they will come up with a great idea like that...
then there are some issues like the phone must be powerfull enough, compatibilities and whatnot, and the lag the sound will have..

Oh yeah!
Another accessory I will need to operate my Switch :lol:
You guys are missing my point. The point was not that you can use a bluetooth headset with your phone, but that there's nothing stopping the Switch from sending and receiving voice to/from your phone. From a user stand-point, basically nothing is out of the ordinary. You would speak into the Switch's microphone and you hear from its speakers. It's just that the back-end happens to send these signals via your smartphone through its app.
 

Veho

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You guys are missing my point. The point was not that you can use a bluetooth headset with your phone, but that there's nothing stopping the Switch from sending and receiving voice to/from your phone. From a user stand-point, basically nothing is out of the ordinary. You would speak into the Switch's microphone and you hear from its speakers. It's just that the back-end happens to send these signals via your smartphone through its app.
What's the point, if the Switch can go online itself? If you're using the microphone and speakers on the Switch, why not have the Switch handle the communication? Why involve the phone at all? As I said, if the app is an extension of the online service like the Steam mobile app for example, that's fine, but if it's a requirement for online chats/matchmaking/play, that is absolutely ridiculous.
 

RemixDeluxe

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I'd prefer talking to friends I'm playing with using Nintendo's app, it's easier than setting up a Skype convo, besides not everyone uses Skype.
How are you making a claim for something not released yet? I'd like to be optimistic too but I'm gonna have to go with the less limited and free option on this one.

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I will just die laughing if Apple pulls their typical shit and tries to force Nintendo's online service to run the trough the App Store so they get 30%.
30% of what? I assumed this was free (assuming you pay for the online subscription)
 
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TotalInsanity4

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I don't think you guys realize that the Switch DOESN'T have a microphone, nor does there appear to be any room internally to put a microphone jack inside of the Joycons. A phone is literally the best way to use a headset if you have the console docked and playing on the TV
 

thorasgar

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30% of what? I assumed this was free (assuming you pay for the online subscription)
I don't follow it closely but there was a point in the App Store's history that apple was forcing apps that are part of a subscription service to make the user pay for the subscription in app so they could get a 30% cut. I now vaguely recall something about Apple maybe allowing the offer to be paid outside the app but if it was offered in app it had to be at the same price meaning charging 30% more in app to cover the fees.
 
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thorasgar

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I don't think you guys realize that the Switch DOESN'T have a microphone, nor does there appear to be any room internally to put a microphone jack inside of the Joycons. A phone is literally the best way to use a headset if you have the console docked and playing on the TV
My iPhone 7 doesn't have a 3.5mm jack either. Audio can be run bluetooth or USB-C. Entry level bluetooth headsets are $20.
 

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I don't think you guys realize that the Switch DOESN'T have a microphone, nor does there appear to be any room internally to put a microphone jack inside of the Joycons. A phone is literally the best way to use a headset if you have the console docked and playing on the TV
It's "literally the best way" if you're using a wired headset and you have to plug it in somewhere, but not if you're using a wireless headset that could connect to the Switch via Bluetooth.
 
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KingVamp

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I feel like this all could have been avoided, if they dock worked like a chromecast, even if they still dropped the two screen idea.
That said, they should at least give you the option for wireless headphones.
 

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My iPhone 7 doesn't have a 3.5mm jack either. Audio can be run bluetooth or USB-C. Entry level bluetooth headsets are $20.
To clarify, the Switch itself has an audio jack, but not the controllers. So unless you're using Bluetooth headsets designed for the device specifically you would have to have some other peripheral running either wired or wirelessly to your console. Almost everyone that owns a Switch will also have a smartphone, so they might as well just tap into the lowest common denominator rather than making people buy new headphones/earbuds or a separate peripheral just to use voice chat in docked mode

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It's "literally the best way" if you're using a wired headset and you have to plug it in somewhere, but not if you're using a wireless headset that could connect to the Switch via Bluetooth.
Agreed, but many people are still using wired headsets, myself included

*insert "but TI it's 20xx get with the times" joke here*
 

duffmmann

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I don't think you guys realize that the Switch DOESN'T have a microphone, nor does there appear to be any room internally to put a microphone jack inside of the Joycons. A phone is literally the best way to use a headset if you have the console docked and playing on the TV

Check this out, coming directly from Nintendo UK: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Nintendo-Switch/Specifications/Specifications-1176277.html#1

Look at number 6 on that page:
Audio Jack: For connecting commercially available headphones, microphones or headsets

It would seem that you can connect commercially available mics and headsets directly into the Switch. Now, this could be only for games where you can sing into the mic such as Rock Band or Just Dance. However, there are listing for Switch headsets already up for sale, peopel don't typically use those for singing, and likewise those mics have traditionally been through USB connections. Yeah, the Switch itself doesn't have such a port, only the dock does, but who is playing such singing games on the go?

It's my belief that the Switch itself does offer voice chat directly from the unit, but when you're playing on the TV you have to use the Smartphone, plus they're probably pushing the smartphone companion app because it has many features beyond just the voice chat. So they just aren't advertising that you can chat from the device yet. I could be wrong, but there does seem to be some evidence there to back up my claim.
 
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xile6

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You guys are missing my point. The point was not that you can use a bluetooth headset with your phone, but that there's nothing stopping the Switch from sending and receiving voice to/from your phone. From a user stand-point, basically nothing is out of the ordinary. You would speak into the Switch's microphone and you hear from its speakers. It's just that the back-end happens to send these signals via your smartphone through its app.
Noce does the ps4 or xbox.
Either way the mic is built into the headphone port on the switch.
 

Kioku

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Check this out, coming directly from Nintendo UK: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Nintendo-Switch/Specifications/Specifications-1176277.html#1

Look at number 6 on that page:
Audio Jack: For connecting commercially available headphones, microphones or headsets

It would seem that you can connect commercially available mics and headsets directly into the Switch. Now, this could be only for games where you can sing into the mic such as Rock Band or Just Dance. However, there are listing for Switch headsets already up for sale, peopel don't typically use those for singing, and likewise those mics have traditionally been through USB connections. Yeah, the Switch itself doesn't have such a port, only the dock does, but who is playing such singing games on the go?

It's my belief that the Switch itself does offer voice chat directly from the unit, but when you're playing on the TV you have to use the Smartphone, plus they're probably pushing the smartphone companion app because it has many features beyond just the voice chat. So they just aren't advertising that you can chat from the device yet. I could be wrong, but there does seem to be some evidence there to back up my claim.

"Joy cons" was the term specifically used here. Yes, the switch itself has a jack. However the joycons don't?
 

Xzi

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"Joy cons" was the term specifically used here. Yes, the switch itself has a jack. However the joycons don't?
I think the pro controller should have a 3.5mm jack since that's the standard they're going with, but I can understand why the joy cons don't. For one thing, they're not always going to be together, and for another, they're not always going to be stationary. There's too much tech crammed into each of them to fit a wireless voice-audio unit, and there's not even a good place to put the jack on the outside of the joy cons. Having your smartphone in your pocket and a headset connected to that solves for several variables without having an overly-complicated or overpriced unique solution to the whole thing.
 
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Xzi

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Maybe all other methods of voice chat on consoles are patented.
That's not the case, this just doesn't seem to make as much sense to a Western audience (yet). The amount of smartphone and app usage in Japan is through the roof, and it's not like they're the first or only country where this is the case. A smartphone app and the 3.5mm standard allows them to tap into both markets at once while clearly differentiating the two by quality of games.

Somewhat related, the Fire Emblem mobile game dropped yesterday, not long after Pokemon Duels.
 
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