Do your wireless headphones work with the Nintendo Switch?
Nintendo’s Bluetooth Audio feature may have some issues
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Are you experiencing problems using thenew Bluetooth audio feature on your Nintendo Switch? If so, you’re not the only one.
Over four years since its launch, theNintendo Switchfinally comes with Bluetooth audio support, allowing you to use the handheld console with a pair ofwireless headphonesfor cable-free sound.
It’s a feature users have been practically begging for since the Switch first appeared in 2017 – but now that it’s here, we’ve noticed some issues with the technology.
Having tested it out for ourselves, we found the the over-earSony WH-1000XM4sounded great, while the true wirelessSony WF-1000XM4suffered from a persistent crackling sound.
We had the same problem using theBeats Studio Buds; meanwhile, the on-earBeats Solo Proworked just fine.
Initially, we thought the issue may be down to a problem withtrue wireless earbudsspecifically, but using the Switch with theLypertek PurePlay Z3didn’t come with any audio distortion at all. Saying that, while using the newerPurePlay Z3 2.0, we did notice a little crackling and some latency issues (though Nintendo does warn that there may be a lag between audio and video on itshelp pagefor the Bluetooth audio feature).
Interestingly, all the models that encountered distortion issues use the latest Bluetooth 5.2 wireless transmission standard and come with active noise cancellation.
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Some users have also reported only able to connect one earbud at a time, very low volume levels, and difficulty with pairing.
A Nintendo spokesperson told us that “the profile and codec which the feature is compatible with will be A2DP profile and the SBC codec and therefore if the audio device is compatible with the A2DP profile and SBC codec, it should be compatible with a Nintendo Switch system”.
In other words, if your wireless headphones support basic Bluetooth - which they all do – they should work with the Nintendo Switch.
Are there any fixes?
One Reddit user may have found a fix for the issue.u/Lyxesssaid that their Switch “sounded terrible” with theSony WF-1000XM3wireless earbuds, with “latency and crackles and bad audio”. However, after connecting theearbudsto their phone and changing the volume setting inSony’s Headphone Connect app, as well as turning off their adaptive noise cancellation setting, Lyxess found the Bluetooth audio feature worked without a hitch.
If you find your wireless headphones sound too quiet, it’s also worth heading into the system settings on your Nintendo Switch and disabling ‘limit max volume’.
If you’re having difficulty using Bluetooth headphones or earbuds with your Nintendo Switch, we’d love to hear from you – send us an email TechRadar at news@techradar.com with the subject line ‘Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Audio’.
Olivia was previously TechRadar’s Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she’s a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She’s previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.
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