Support NeoGAF

[hlhbk]

One of the biggest complaints I had heard about both the Wii and Wii U was the lack of an optical audio out port. It is something that stopped myself and from what I have read a lot of others being able to hook up their systems to their 5.1 surround sound systems.

After doing some research today it appears the Switch also doesn't support this feature. I mean seriously Nintendo? Some of us have quality 5.1 setups that don't support HDMI audio and your competition both have this feature. It won't stop my preorder but Nintendo's lack of including features that should be a given are maddening.

 

[derder]

That would be considered a legacy port.

 

[Doctre81]

So you are mad that nintendo supports a superior standard?

 

[Goose_Se7en]

It's Nintendo bro.

 

[-shadow-]

Not really surprising. Neither did the Wii and WiiU.

 

[Jonnax]

Optical audio is an old port. It's like asking why you don't have composite/component/s-video/scart on a brand new console.

HDMI has superceeded it, if you require it, you can buy a convertor.

 

[Jonneh3003]

PS4 doesn't support component, standards change unfortunately.

 

[Frodo]

It wasn't on the Wii not on the Wii U. Why would you ever expect it to be supported now? Are you also expecting a Ethernet port?

 

[Type_Raver]

...and it doesnt matter.

 

[Bsigg12]

Neither of their previous consoles support it. There was nothing there to give any hope for them supporting it with the Switch.

Also the PS4 Slim dropped optical support as well.

 

[McDougles]

Are we talking about the same optical audio that was around in the 80's? I'm genuinely not an audiophile, so I'm not sure what I'm missing here.

 

[KageMaru]

One of the biggest complaints I had heard about both the Wii and Wii U was the lack of an optical audio out port. It is something that stopped myself and from what I have read a lot of others being able to hook up their systems to their 5.1 surround sound systems.

After doing some research today it appears the Switch also doesn't support this feature. I mean seriously Nintendo? Some of us have quality 5.1 setups that don't support HDMI audio and your competition both have this feature. It won't stop my preorder but Nintendo's lack of including features that should be a given are maddening.

The bolded is exactly why they continue to make these stupid moves.

 

[doctorcdcs]

...and it doesnt matter.

it matters to me since i still use optical.

 

[Dylan]

Don't people generally just HDMI into another device that connects to your receiver?

I wouldn't know, I've never been able to afford anything beyond a couple of computer speakers. But I'm sorry you have to go through this OP. Persevere man.

 

[KillScottKill]

Just learned it doesn't support composite video either. wtf Nintendo?

 

[iMax]

here you go OP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017B6WFP8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Lom1lo]

Dont see this at e problem, every tv has audio out. So just go from tv out to your receiver.

 

[goldenpp72]

Well I mean, the Wii and Wii U didn't, so let's be real. It's a bit of a shame but thankfully, I do have an adapter that can split sound from HDMI to Optical for my system that doesn't support normal HDMI pass through.

 

[butzopower]

Sadly it doesn't play vinyl either, not sure what they were thinking.

 

[molnizzle]

If you still rely on optical out then you don't have a "quality 5.1 setup," sorry. It's time to upgrade. It's been time to upgrade since about 2012.

 

[Atheerios]

Nintendo for the first time is using cutting-edge technology for their connectors (USB-C). But people will always complain.

 

[chrono01]

Where's my RF Adapter option, Nintendo!?

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

They probably wouldn't support Dolby or dts either so nothing to send over the optical port other than lossless stereo anyway.

 

[Dylan]

Sadly it doesn't play vinyl either, not sure what they were thinking.

Fuck me. I might actually buy it if it did.

 

[Jonnax]

Are we talking about the same optical audio that was around in the 80's? I'm genuinely not an audiophile, so I'm not sure what I'm missing here.

Yep. The very same. It can only support uncompressed 2 channels and low bitrate 5.1.

 

[soco]

Just get the RF Adapter. Basically the same quality!

 

[Booker.DeWitt]

who uses optical audio nowadays?

 

[Wootball]

I dislike pretty much every decision Nintendo have made, but this isn't one of them. Optical as a method of outputting audio is dead.

 

[LAA]

Is it considered a legacy port? I'd be screwed without it for PS4 Pro. Can hook it up to my PC speakers using it.
It probably isn't a big deal though mostly. Especially compared to most of Nintendo's other problems.

 

[Already Torn]

Nintendo for the first time is using cutting edge technology for their connectors (USB-C). But people will always complain.

I thought it was older USB

 

[kagamin]

here you go OP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017B6WFP8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I use one of these for my PS4 Slim and it works great, comes highly recommended.

 

[dralla]

I use optical out on my PS4 and Xbox because I use headphones. Opitcal > DAC > Headphones. No optical sucks

 

[Mandelbo]

Some of us have quality 5.1 setups that don't support HDMI audio and your competition both have this feature. It won't stop my preorder but Nintendo's lack of including features that should be a given are maddening.

fwiw the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro don't have optical out either.

I thought it was older USB

Nope, definitely uses usb-c

 

[Garrett Hawke]

who cares? who uses optical audio nowadays?

A lot of people lmao

Optical set ups didn't just vanish when HDMI audio became a thing

Anyway yeah op the Wii U didn't have it so this isn't really a surprise. Thankfully the XB1S/PS4Pro still do.

fwiw the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro don't have optical out either.

The Pro does.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

^ What is the truth?? ^

I thought it was older USB

It's USB-C, and it's compatible with any market standard USB-C cable.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

I thought it was older USB

There are USB 2.0 and 3.0 on the docks.

The device itself charges and outputs to the dock using type c

 

[Neo_Geo]

Wasn't an issue on the Wii U, not an issue now. The Wii not have one was an actual issue worthy of discussion, that was clearly Nintendo being cheap with what was a fairly standard port in 2006

 

[TheAngryMonkey]

I miss the optical out as well. Since I use a monitor I use the optical out on my Xbox One to get audio into my headset. As someone else pointed out there are adapters that will pass HDMI through while grabbing audio and outputting it via optical.

 

[AwesomeMeat]

Add me to the last of people that aren't surprised that they aren't supporting an old inferior audio only output.

 

[Illusive_Juan]

As someone who was recently gifted 7.1 turtle beach headphones, this news saddens me.

 

[Manmademan]

Is it considered a legacy port? I'd be screwed without it for PS4 Pro. Can hook it up to my PC speakers using it.
It probably isn't a big deal though mostly. Especially compared to most of Nintendo's other problems.

Yep. surround over HDMI has been a thing since at least the PS3 hit the market 10+ years ago.

Optical also won't carry the advanced surround formats like dolby true HD, etc.

very few consumers still need/prefer that port.

 

[StreetsAhead]

who cares? who uses optical audio nowadays?

I saw someone complain in a store that their new Blu-Ray player didn't support composite (or component, whatever) cables to plug into a CRT the other week, so I'm sure there's people around who do.

 

[doctorcdcs]

fwiw the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro don't have optical out either.

The Pro does, as does the Xbox One S.

I mean, if Sony and Microsoft can see the value in including a "legacy" audio connection to their systems, there must be something to it.

 

[test_account]

I dont really get the "its old!" posts. I mean, sure, its old, but both PS4 and Xbox One have it. I'm pretty sure that both Xbox Scorpio and PS5 will also have it.

 

[NekoFever]

It doesn't support digital coaxial, component or s-video either. Consoles have been doing audio over HDMI for over a decade and it's been clear which way things are going. Time to upgrade.

 

[BRocknRolla]

One of the biggest complaints? Really?

And you have a precedent of two systems without it, and you're still surprised and upset when the third doesn't?

 

[Doctre81]

I don't even think you can even listen to uncompressed audio with optical anyway OP. You are in need of an upgrade regardless of switch.

 

[spazimoose]

That sucks you cant connect it to your setup. What are you rocking that you cant decode 5.1 from the HDMI? You could probably get an adapter to split+convert from HDMI? Just one more thing to buy for switch though

 

[-tetsuo-]

It is 2017

 

[Wedzi]

Courage.