It's quite perplexing that the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid gaming machine you can take anywhere, features a voice chat system that spoils that very idea.
This Nintendo Switch Voice Chat Accessory Is A Mess
Gaming peripheral and accessory maker Hori on Thursday, June 1, unveiled the world's first Nintendo Switch-compatible headset, and it's nothing short of complicated — because this headset needs a dongle, a phone, and wires to work.
Dubbed the "Empera Hook HDP," the voice chat setup is specifically geared for the upcoming game Splatoon 2. It consists of a squid-shaped dongle, a headset with a microphone, and three 3.5 mm aux cables. One cable plugs into the Switch's headphone port to the dongle, one connects from the dongle to your phone, and the last cable connects to the headset itself.
The setup itself is quite problematic, for the very reason that it hugely violates the Switch's seemingly perfect idea of portability. Want to play Splatoon 2 on the go? Sure, bring your Switch anywhere. Want to participate in a voice chat session? Sure, just try not to trip all over the wires you're required to bring. It's a mess.
Blame Nintendo, Not Hori
But why does it need to be complicated? Couldn't have Hori designed a better voice chat system than that? Well, the accessory maker isn't to blame here, Nintendo itself is. While it put in a voice chat feature on the Switch, the company didn't make the console compatible with Bluetooth headsets, which today is a perplexing absence, as nearly all phones support this feature by now.
It's even more problematic when one considers that the Switch is Nintendo's first gateway to a dedicated online subscription system.
Nintendo's Paid Online Subscription
Previously, Nintendo had offered free online multiplayer for many of its titles, but come fall, the company will kick off its paid online subscription. Upon announcement, this became a big deal, mainly because it gave fans hope that Nintendo would finally refine its online system, which is severely lacking compared with those offered by Sony or Microsoft. But this voice chat system? — A complete anti-thesis.
That's not all, though. You might have asked why a smartphone is included in the setup detailed above. Well, as if to add insult to injury, voice chat will actually be handled through a smartphone app, not the console itself. This presents further problems, too: what if the user has an iPhone 7, which has no headphone jack?
In all fairness, the whole setup is made by Hori, which is an assurance of quality within the gaming crowd. The headset will launch in Japan on July 21 to coincide with the release of Splatoon 2. Gamers will also be able to accessorize their characters with a digital version of the headset.
Could This Change?
At present, Nintendo's plans for online multiplayer and, by extension, voice chat, are still pretty much ambiguous, but you can check out our article to understand some of the basics. All told, there's still hope the company will see how fans react to this setup and implement changes accordingly. But for now, if you want to play Splatoon 2 and participate in voice chat, you'll have to buy the whole setup.
Thoughts about voice chat on the Nintendo Switch? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
