The Nintendo Switch console has been a resounding success, particularly in the wake of Nintendo's underperforming Wii U. As of August 2021, only a few video game consoles have sold more than the Switch, including Nintendo's own Wii and DS as well as Sony's PlayStation 2; the best-selling console of all time. Many feel Nintendo could have done more with the Switch's built-in features and hardware capabilities, and to its credit the company has offered a few updates over the console's four-year lifespan. Its most recent update adds Bluetooth audio pairing.
The Switch Bluetooth update, announced earlier today via Nintendo of America's official Twitter account, is a great step in the right direction. Some may feel the ability to pair Bluetooth audio devices (enabling wireless audio for Nintendo Switch games) is "too little, too late" for a console that released in 2017 and thus far has only allowed on-the-go players to use traditional audio jacks no longer supported by major smartphone developers like Apple. However, there's still a lot of life left in the Switch, and with Nintendo's Switch OLED model releasing next month, now is a perfect time for this feature to bolster its reinvigorated handheld mode.
Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Capabilities
According to the official Nintendo Switch support page on pairing and managing Bluetooth audio devices, 10 different devices can be saved on the console. Only one can be active at a time, however, and Nintendo stipulates that Bluetooth microphones are still unusable. Even multiplayer-focused Switch games like Splatoon 2 avoid direct voice chat in-part by restricting party features to a mobile phone app, so this isn't a huge surprise. Nintendo largely caters to a younger demographic, so it makes sense to sidestep the potentially toxic voice chats found in other online games. Services like Discord also exist as a third-party alternative.
What may be a bigger deal to fans is the fact that pairing a Bluetooth audio device restricts the Switch, only allowing for two wireless controllers to be paired. There's an argument to be made that anyone wearing a headset for in-game audio probably isn't hosting a party with multiple friends in the room, and in fact Nintendo disconnects Bluetooth audio devices when players boot up local wireless communication. Still, between these restrictions and the support page's warning that players may experience audio latency through Bluetooth (not uncommon on any wireless device), fans will want to decide whether the addition is worthwhile for themselves.
Switch OLED's Mobile Audio
Despite its quirks, one overwhelmingly positive thing to say about Nintendo adding Bluetooth audio capabilities to the Switch is that it fits in with other quality-of-life adjustments coming in the Nintendo Switch OLED model. The Switch OLED was announced earlier this year and launches alongside Metroid Dread on October 8, boasting a larger vibrant screen, better on-board speakers, and an improved kickstand that allows the device to sit at more angles. Though another improvement to the new Switch's dock is a built-in ethernet port, most of what the OLED model adds makes the console more capable in handheld mode as opposed to being docked.
Even if it contradicts the better built-in speakers, having Bluetooth audio capabilities in the Switch's operating system goes perfectly with a device that's brighter and arguably easier to use on the go. A cynic could suggest Nintendo held off on Bluetooth audio pairing until it became a convenient marketing tool for its improved new console model; especially when the announcement comes less than a month before launch. However, even if this is true, it doesn't change that the Nintendo Switch will be better off having this feature. Metroid Dread just-so-happens to offer a perfect exuse to get sucked into a series famed for its atmosphere.