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Ars: Early tests show bizarre issues with Nintendo Switch voice chat app

F

Fleet_of_Foot

Member
I really haven't been following this app thing very closely because I don't plan to play competitive games online with my Switch but I want to make sure I understand this.

  1. My Switch has a headphone jack. I've plugged headphones into it, seems to work fine. Theoretically, voice chat should come through just fine on them.
  2. I have a pair of headphones with a mic that I use with my PS4 and Xbox.
  3. What is the reason I can't just use those same headphones with my Switch (in handheld mode, at least)?
 
Jubenhimer

Jubenhimer

Member
There are some good ideas within the app, like SplatNet 2 and other potential applets. But the clunky voice chat implementation holds it back quite a bit. I'm not going to be hyperbolic and say "EVERYTHING MUST BE ON THE CONSOLE" because again, there are some good ideas here. Then again, Nintendo did say this is a limited version, so hopefully they listen to feedback and improve it, and maybe even reach a compromise as well regarding voice chat. They do seem faster at listening to fans these days if reckoning the NES rental nonsense, announcing two Metroid tiles, and patching in Japanese voices for BotW are an indication.
 
J

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
LCGeek said:
Its because phones aren't great at multi tasking regardless of preference. Yet leave it to nintendo not to realize this until someone like ARS test this out. Quite frankly I'm sick of quirky nintendo when it comes to doing software properly when it comes to QOL or infrastructure. It's screwed their entire online platform to the point most know they aren't serous.

There's nothing bizzare about a real flaw of smartphones vs a laptop/desktop based OS.
Click to expand...

Yea...someone made a good point about Nintendo leaving in the hands of outside forces not being a good thing.

Even tho over the years multi tasking on phones has gotten better...it still can have issues.
 
C

CrunchyFrog

Member
ShinUltramanJ said:
Tying your online communication to a separate device that's constantly getting notifications, texts, and phone calls wasn't a wise idea. And on top of that you can't let it go into sleep mode.

This definitely needs work before they expect people to pay for it. Good thing they're testing it out first.
Click to expand...

Oh god I completely forgot they're going to make people fucking pay for this thing.
 
S

sanstesy

Member
Toni Codrea said:
DFHWwggW0AAmxK9.jpg
Click to expand...

o.o
 
T

tim_pkmn89

Member
Fleet_of_Foot said:
I really haven't been following this app thing very closely because I don't plan to play competitive games online with my Switch but I want to make sure I understand this.

  1. My Switch has a headphone jack. I've plugged headphones into it, seems to work fine. Theoretically, voice chat should come through just fine on them.
  2. I have a pair of headphones with a mic that I use with my PS4 and Xbox.
  3. What is the reason I can't just use those same headphones with my Switch (in handheld mode, at least)?
Click to expand...

Switch OS has no support for voice chat by itself.
 
7

7DollarHagane

Banned
Just use discord. There's no need for this. And there's no need for voice chat in general anyway.

Most people play with voice chat off anyway.
 
C

Cess007

Member
Phu said:
Nintendo's the type of company to branch into cookware and try to sell wooden frying pans.
Click to expand...

This made me chuckle

Toni Codrea said:
DFHWwggW0AAmxK9.jpg
Click to expand...

Reggie's own words:

The smart phone app that we're creating, that will be part of our online service, we believe is going to be a very compelling part of the overall proposition because that's how you'll voice chat, that's how you'll do your matchmaking, and create your lobby. We also think it's a very elegant solution because if you've taken your switch on the go, you've put yourself in a hotspot, you're looking at get a quick match of Mario Kart in, to whip out some sort of bulky, gamer headset is a bit of a challenge.

So we think we've got an elegant solution
Click to expand...
 
S

shawnbuddy

Member
They know no one is going to use this, so they don't see any reason to put any effort into it. It's just ticking a features box so they can say they have the same functionality as other modern consoles.
 
G

Gestault

Member
I've left a handful of simple suggestions for how to improve the current implementation. I'm hoping they're able to pull from that and get things in better shape than they're looking now. Baby steps, I guess.
 
M

Metal B

Member
Fleet_of_Foot said:
I really haven't been following this app thing very closely because I don't plan to play competitive games online with my Switch but I want to make sure I understand this.

  1. My Switch has a headphone jack. I've plugged headphones into it, seems to work fine. Theoretically, voice chat should come through just fine on them.
  2. I have a pair of headphones with a mic that I use with my PS4 and Xbox.
  3. What is the reason I can't just use those same headphones with my Switch (in handheld mode, at least)?
Click to expand...
Because there isn't a voice-chat software running in the background of the game, which send and receive the voices and let's you manage the party-chat. The app does all of those things.
 
S

singhr1

Member
Mendrox said:
This is a multi billion company. These numbnuts knew what they were doing. They were told beforehand what a clusterfuck of a solution this is and they still fuck it up.
Click to expand...

Yup, even if it worked *as good as* Discord or even Skype, it's still a shitty "solution" to something that shouldn't be a problem in the first place.
 
E

Effect

Member
CrunchyFrog said:
Oh god I completely forgot they're going to make people fucking pay for this thing.
Click to expand...
No. You're paying for the overall online service (access to online multiplay, classic game catalog, store discounts). The app is included but even if you don't pay you get a version of the app free. You aren't paying specifically and only for a damn chat app. If you want you can completely ignore the damn thing if you wish. Or just ignore the damn chat function itself if the app does other things in its none limited state.
 
F

ffdgh

Member
Less than a year to attempt to iron out the various kinks...or just keep using discord like most likely will.
 
D

DonShula

Member
Nintendo fan here.

Can't defend this crap.

Wasn't DeNA brought in to do this stuff because Nintendo didn't know how to? Looks like DeNA doesn't know how to do it either.
 
D

Dark Cloud

Member
I still don't get why Bluetooth headsets is not a thing that can be used, Nintendo....atleast it would kill the wires.

DonShula said:
Nintendo fan here.

Can't defend this crap.

Wasn't DeNA brought in to do this stuff because Nintendo didn't know how to? Looks like DeNA doesn't know how to do it either.
Click to expand...

I mentioned it earlier that DeNA was supposed to be making this. If Nintendo told them they're not putting voice chat on the Switch then there's not much DeNA can do I guess. Voice chat has to be on the app, but the switching of the apps and not working sounds like it's on DeNA.
 
F

FleetingFlowAir

Member
I like the Switch, but it's both amazing and sad how Nintendo does not know how to do online properly.

Voice chat might as well be considered a non-existent paid feature next year.
 
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