The Nintendo Switch Online App Is Now Available for Download

Server maintenance! Boo

Needs more stability updates.

Bluetooth headsets confirmed!It won't be that bad

Yup, not ready yet. That said, looking at the description on the app intro and app store page... I see no mention of any sort of messaging system. Just voice chat. I can't imagine there would be no messaging system, but I guess this is Nintendo...

This is a pathetic way to communicate. It's 2017 for crying out loud. This is what you need to play online with your friends. By the Nintendo switch, pay for their online services, own a smart phone, download their special app and then purchase a headset of some sort.

Isn't it like, 4 AM where you guys are?

Good to see it available early. btw, is Android 4.4 supported?

IPhone 6 here and I'm looking at server maintenance... the wait...PAINFUL!

I'll stick to hosting a PS4 party with my mates. As it's 2017 we have wireless headsets so we can sit online on one console while playing another, even if that console is working under the premise that the Dreamcast is it's main rival for online play.

When your voice chat option is so stupid that you make gamers want to use another way to chat when they play your games, you've done something wrong.

@PAHTK And you know what is even more pathetic? Nintendo included a more direct, easier and logical chat system on their own Nintendo DS in 2004.

I'll probably just keep using Discord.

Want a bluetooth connection with my phone. Simply that and I will be happy.

But this app still is limited to only friends, right? No voice chat with strangers? Because I can just do a group call with friends, that's what I did for Triforce Heroes, this seems no simpler then, not to mention I know next to no one with a Switch so it's not even helpful. If I could chat with the random people I'm matched with on Splatoon... I know some would be horrible to talk to but it would be nice to be able to talk strategy mid match...

@ShadJV Good luck with talking to all Japanese players on your team in random battles.

It will be much easier to use PS4 to organize group chat for plaing Switch online games with wireless headset, Nintendo! facepalm Nintendo!!!

@abbyhitter and? I can speak enough Japanese. Not like it matters since you can't speak with randos.

I am using the Microsoft Surface Tablet - is there an app, too?

Just another reason I need to upgrade my phone. I really hate this idea....

Might as well just get Discord on your phone

@NintendoPete you need certified by Nintendo mobile device with certified by Nintendo headsets with certified by Nintendo audio converter

This is lunacy, utterly woeful voice chat system.

I have no issue with having to use an app at all and until others try it out nor should they. Yes it would be better not needing to use another device but it's a portable console,it's not going to have an Internet connection at all times where as your phone will so it makes sense to do it this way.

I think everyone is still baffled by why they decided to chose this as the only method of using voice chat rather than making it an option on top of making the app available on the switch itself as an optional download (which would have solved the parental issue).

The only issue that arises is the hybrid nature of the console, which would be easily remedied by the smart phone app and/or Bluetooth headphones compatibility.

In fact, Bluetooth compatibility would have made even this solution better.

@Kopchony don't forget the certified by Nintendo phone carrier, certified by Nintendo background check (for user safety) and certified by Nintendo voice (can't have anyone that sounds too creepy).

@OorWullie what? If it doesn't have an internet connection, how would you be playing online (which is what the app is for)?

Good old fashioned smoke signals have never let me down yet.

@OrigamiSquirtle Who? The writer of this article is American.

@ShadJV The app is also for arranging matches,messaging friends,checking your stats,changing your gear and weapons etc.If I'm out and about and I want to arrange a match for when I get back I can do that and know everyone I send an invitation to will receive it straight away.If it was just through the console I would need to wait until everyone turns on their console and connects to the internet.

Wow... It isn't available in my country. Just great Nintendo just great. How pathetic can you get. All you're giving me is just a useless Mario Run and no Online app!? I'm infuriated! Nintendo better release it in all countries or else!

@Yasaal It still isn't technically release date yet. What you're seeing is probably a softlaunch. Give it a week, you'll probably get it on time.

@FTPinkRabbit Ok let's see... My bad for losing my temper.

@Yasaal It hasn't shown up for me and I'm in Canada, so to echo PinkRabbit it's probably not out everywhere because it's not even technically up yet.

And in regard to having to use my phone for this, I've got no issue with it, except that I've never really chatted with online friends in regards to consoles

@Yasaal I'm in Thailand and it's available for me.Usually Thailand is pretty low in the list of important countries so I'm surprised to see it there.I'm guessing it will appear in your store soon.

By releasing it early they've just opened themselves up to many 1 star reviews from folk complaining it doesn't work.There's already quite a few.

@OorWullie or you could, ya know, text them, since they're all people on your friends list anyways and you both clearly have a smart phone.

@ShadJV I had loads of friends on Wii U,many I only knew because they added me through my NNID being in my forum signature and the rest I know from chatting with on here.I know none of them personally though so I'd prefer not to need to give out my personal contact details so I can arrange a match up.I'm sure the vast majority of others wouldn't want to either.This way I can talk with my Nintendo friends through a Nintendo service and only talk about gaming and keep my private messaging apps for real life

While this may not be ideal (it doesn't matter to me, much, since I've only ever used Skype while chatting on any console game, save the very beginning of Live on the original Xbox, and a few days of PSU on 360), @OorWullie makes some good/interesting points in its defense.

I love Nintendo and all but sometimes I really cannot help but think... WTF!?! Is it that hard to implement voice chat with the Switch?

@OorWullie fair enough but there's plenty of other services to do so even with your smartphone that gamers use for all platforms, on top of most platforms supporting voice chat on the console itself (many times even for more than just friends). There is zero reason for restricting voice chat to smartphones. In addition, I know many people without smartphones and so this is completely useless for them. And judging how it's already been received, I wouldn't be surprised if a good percentage of Switch gamers don't even bother with the app, making it really no better than the alternatives out there. I thought this was a decent idea until I was aware all chat features like voice chat are restricted to smartphones and you can't just use a mic with the Switch. Defending this despite that big flaw that was addressed three game generations ago by competitors doesn't exactly give you a solid argument and makes it seem like you're the type to praise Nintendo regardless of what they do. I love Nintendo too dude but there are some areas where their stubbornness to do things the most efficient ways simply because they HAVE to be different are simply wrong. If they offered this app on top of normal in game voice chat, or even just at least enabled voice chat in random matches instead of expecting us to fish for friends on websites like these to be able to communicate mid match, well I'd be less critical, this would be a neat little companion. The fact is that they expect this to be our sole way to communicate in their online titles, and regardless of whether this app has its uses, we shouldn't just shut up and take whatever Nintendo wants to spoon feed us with little airplane noises.

It's not 100% useless but don't pretend they haven't pushed this as a means of voice chatting. That's the feature they advertise most and we don't have to be happy just because something is better than nothing, it's 2017 for gods sake, it isn't even hard or expensive technology to implement.

Playing the Splatfest for Splatoon 2 made me notice that the teams that most often lost were the ones who had the most overlap with players (two players continuing to go the same directions while inking the grown instead of splitting up). Granted that's not the be all end all but when you have only a few minutes, the time wasted because two players keep accidentally trying to cover the same ground can be the different between a win and a lose. I literally have 1 person on my entire friends list who plans on getting this and knowing him he'll only put a dozen or two hours into the online total, never bothering with the friends mode, and I'm not gonna fish around forums trying to find a bunch of people to add as friends who probably won't be able to play the same time as me because, having work and grad school, I rarely can schedule my online gaming ahead of time. Not having voice chat available in stuff like ranked matches is quite backwards. I was hoping Nintendo would address that given they suddenly seem interested in online but some things never change...

@CheddarSword pretty much this. I love how Nintendo innovates sometimes but the problem is they innovate religiously. To an extreme. They can't do anything the normal way, even if it works better that way, and insist on being different. Simply voice chat in game (with headsets, no phone needed) isn't hard to implement at all, Nintendo just has to make everything difficult. Heck, the way they're doing it is more work for them AND less useful. They're actually putting work into doing things worse...

@Menchi187 yup, the DS MIc wasn't that bad either

I think the Xbox app for XBone and PC does most of these tasks which the Nintnedo Switch Online app is going to do. Message your friends, view the activity feed, buy content and send it to download on your console and pc, set up game times with friends and strangers alike and even search out for specific types of players in games. I know the Switch is a portable so having some of these options for gaming on the go makes sense, I still think party chat messaging at least should be part of the systems OS. Well really most of the features in the app should be but I gotta give the Switch SOME leeway, it is a portable, modern console

@Bengals76 the only actual difference is the app. You always have to buy the console, buy the online , buy a headset and everyone already owns a smart phone. It is totally archaic though i agree, but its obvious that the app was based around the systems portability not its use as a home console and as the portability is the sewlling point thats what they ran with.

Never used chat for games... not going to start now. I can't stand kids and teenagers insulting and shouting at me.
So all that fuss about chat, and wireless headsets and strange devices with lots of cables... Who cares. Chat is worthless.
But I guess that for those who care about chat... Nintendo didn't do a great job of it.

I don't care about online at all. I'd rather be in a room with friends or not play multiplayer at all. That being said, if this is an app then why don't people just use Skype or FaceTime. What's the difference. 🤔

@ShadJV I'm not one to praise Nintendo for everything.Sure I'm a huge fan and I do try to see positives in the negatives but I'll criticise where I feel it's deserved.I admit my opinion on this is a little biased though as I have no interest in voice chat myself but I am interested in easily arranging matches and tournaments with the NL community I had some great times with the game playing with other members on here but trying to arrange things and communicate through the forum wasn't ideal.For me,this app will make things easier.I'm also glad there is no in game voice chat outside friends/squads as it ruins the game for those who don't want to use it in my opinion.it all becomes too coordinated and you're constantly picked off by ruthless opponents.I know from experience of playing 4 player squads with NL members,sometimes we'd come up against a team who are obviously communicating through other means and we'd get absolutely slaughtered,no fun at all.That's still going to be the case in the sequel but I don't want that carrying over to all the other modes too.Splatoon like most other Nintendo games isn't supposed to be taken too serious,it's about everyone having fun.

Anyway,once you start to rise up the ranks you get matched with better players who know what they're doing.Not all times of course but for the most part.

I think it's great that we have a separate app for chat - it doesn't put any strain or give additional tasks for the SWITCH to strain with.
Also - I don't want to chat with swearing 12 year olds - I packed din playing voice chat on Gears because of that -

I think it's probably gonna end up being more convoluted than necessary, but people should wait for the app to actually be functional before they tear it apart. You're all jumping the gun a little with this criticism.

@SanderEvers
This is by no means a nice solution!
Ever heard of a headset jack on a controller!?
I'm absolutly upset over this half ass app.

Most phones come with headphones and obviously a mic.

And most have a snart phone.

Hooray!

I'm excited to download it, but I'm not sure how much I'll use it (mix of personal preference and how much use it will actually be)

So convoluted, it's not a good solution.

The app is just a list of your friends phone #'s. That way you can just call them and talk on the phone while you play.

@OrigamiSquirtle I have an 11 week old baby! It's always 4AM 😂

Really stupid "solution". More like "convolution".

While most companies strive to move forward with the times and make life easier, Nintendo move in the opposite direction. Run online directly from the console? No. Bluetooth headphones? No. Headphone jack on the controllers? No. Wireless? Good God no, you'll have 3 wires and be grateful. Voice chat with whomever we like? No. And the cherry on top? We'll be paying for this nonsense soon enough.

That Switchty's Show.

There's over 1,000 reviews up on the Play Store for the Nintendo Online App and the servers aren't even live yet. People are dumb.

Wtf why can't we just get a headset like on the other consoles?? I don't understand why they would do this. Is it saving them money or easier for them to implement? Are they scared of innapropriate language? What's their motive to use an app instead of through the console??

@NinROCK3T It's really simple - everyone has a Smartphone- Doing Inline service this way means you don't have to exit a game screen and Voice chat doesn't take up resources on the SWITCH - It's so unbelievably simple and brilliant!

You will also be able to pre-book/setup your online games with friends whilst on the train on the way home form work etc.

All the negative nancies. .. meh. . .

Installed, switched to my main game and still nothing beyond the log-in screen. I'll prob use it mostly to look up what arenas are live but the rest? Not too sure.

My iPhone 4S is too old... so I've got to buy a new phone if I want to use the online features of my Switch. Looks like I won't be subscribing.

@LiberatedAnimal Yeah stick to ventrilo, mumble, teamspeak, discord I guess.

I can understand the angst somewhat over this method of chat. But the switch needs to conserve battery power. Another connection (Bluetooth to headset or between pro controller and console) isn't ideal.
Besides, I've been using Skype on my phone for group charts as far back as Mario Kart Wii so this is a familiar way of online gaming.

The internet is such an angry place.

I don't think it's convoluted at all. You'll be able to use the game and app together, with voice chat, and not even need any wires or even a headset. The game will be playing on your TV, while the app is right next to you for easy access.

Servers are up !!

RIP Landscape mode, RIP Nyko...

I'm really not bothered about voice chat. Maybe it's because I've grown up gaming without on-line. I have a PS4 and I never use voice chat on that either.

What I don't get is that the Switch, and Nintendo in general, is very child friendly. Not sure how many children own smartphones...

I don't think I'll bother downloading it, have no interest in voice chat.

ok downloaded the app, logged in under my nintendo name, and there is nothing, YEY another useless nintendo app which i will delete in a few days.

I'm going to download but not for chat. Hopefully it's useful for something.
I was playing Destiny 2 beta last night with friends using my PS Gold Headset. There's just no way I'll bother using Nintendo's Frankenstein chat.

Yeesh, the game that this app works with isn't even out yet. What a whiney lot we got here.

I'm too shy to use voice chat, but I'll still try this out for the other features.

@cfgk24 Nothing about this is simple or brilliant. If what you were saying is true, aka the system can't handle the additional burden, then the design of the system is flawed - simple as that.
We are talking about a PORTABLE device, that insists on using another portable device (not to mention all that gorgeous wiring) for any kind of communication purposes.

I'm not saying it can't work, or that it is a dealbreaker for the system (even in case you're 'only' in it for online play in Splatoon, MK8, Arms etc.), but to say that it is "simple or brilliant" borders on the offensive and it is certainly counterfactual, because if you need two devices to do the job of one device, your solution is by definition not "simple".

I'm just going to assume your comment was meant to be sarcastic (maybe add a wink-emoji or something in the future^^).

The servers are live. I'm in, but there's nothing much there

@Ralek85 Not at all sarcastic - I just can see how it will work - Also - I didn't say it couldn't handle the extra processing/work - I just said that it didn't have to .
It is simple! there's nothing complicated about it! what on earth is complicated about it? I'm much happier having my smartphone by my side on the sofa or on the coffee table so I can tap the screen right by my side to summon a team , announce a room up etc. In terms of Portability - Generally - the Switch dock stays at home - When I take my SWITCH out to gaming meets and parties ( of which I do a lot - ) we talk to each other face to face in the same room - all 8 of us - if we did need to chat online then our mobiles can handle the traffic! - It's Simple! It's Brilliant! - I'll send a smiley face instead

@Paddle1 Oh. I assumed everyone on the Nintendo Life team is British.

@cfgk24
Well a game using an app to msg friends and setup games is nothing new. Destiny has been doing it for years. There's a msg board to sign up for raids etc.
Have you used PS chat? You may like Nintendo's approach...which is fine. It's not brilliant tho.

@YANDMAN I totally disagree with your statement that everyone already owns a smart phone. In fact this leaves a lot of people out. Be thankful for the good things that you have, for others it's just a dream. Oh, and by the way, my PlayStation 4 came with a headset and mic.

@Snaplocket I know a lot of people that would rather pay $60 bucks a year instead of $20 a year plus buy a smart phone $800, and have a smart phone bill of $100.

So if you don't bother with online gaming or friend listing people, is this app pointless?

The app has a feedback section!

@Captain_Gonru I agree with you, it's just too hot and humid to post.

The app seems nice, 1 stop shopping for all things Switch. But, you shouldn't need it. Certainly not if Nintendo is charging $20y for online play. Voice chat has been around for yesrs, Switch should have it in addition to the app. And of course the app should be on the Switch. Only Nintendo would make it's own tablet, it's own app, but not have it's app on its tablet.

So yes, I like the app, but you shouldn't need it for voice chat on your $300 Switch w/ $20y subscription fee. Choice. I'm all about choice.

@Shellcore I've been working at a kid's acting workshop the past few weeks and every one of them has a better phone than I do, so a lot l of kids have phones I guess. Ideally they would be supervised anyway so they can use a parent's phone and really it's not a feature for infants.

@Snaplocket Give an iPad, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, an Amazon Fire, an Nvidia Shield and a Switch w/o the Joycon playing Voez to any general person. Ask them which one isn't a tablet. You can call it whatever you want, it's a tablet. It's flat, it's a rectangle, it has writing on it. That's pretty much the definition of a tablet going back 5,000 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_tablet

The Switch is pretty much the Nvidia Shield. See what it says on the top of the Shield box.

@Snaplocket "Can any of those play games on the scale of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Breath of the Wild?"

Can the PS4 play any of those games? So the PS4 isn't a game console then b/c by your logic what games a system can play defines whether it is a tablet or a console. Switch can't play Destiny, MGS, Madden, GTAV, so it's a tablet.

PS2 can't play PS4 games either, was PS2 not a console?

My phone can play World of Goo. Switch can play World a Goo. Switch is a phone.

Software doesn't determine hardware. Ever.

@OorWullie so details of the app are out now and you cannot chat with people or schedule matches unless you're in a lobby on your Switch. Pretty much all the things you said it's useful for cannot be done, you cannot schedule matches for later when you're away from your Switch.

@cfgk24 "It's Simple! It's Brilliant!"

I don't think those words mean what you think they mean.

Just to stand up for common sense here, the fact that you have to put away your controller or the Switch tablet itself (assuming you, too, are constrained by the number of hands you have available being limited to two) to pick up your smartphone (or in fact, another tablet) just to facilitate voice chat, is empirical prove, that it is not simple.
A ... simple example of this being "simple" would be like ... 'press home', then 'select the party chart app on the Switch' and ... be done with it.
That wouldn't be "brilliant" either of course, but it would be SIMPLE.

What I'm saying is this: Whether or not you like this approach of Nintendo or not, should have no bearing on what "simple" actually means in a context as such. You might think it's a good solution, but it's not a simple solution.

That's like saying: "To unlock your filler cap, forget about our car keys - just boot up our filler cap app, have it connect to your car, insert your one-time-use verification code and you're all good to go!' - You might think it's neat to open your filler cap using an app, and maybe it is (who knows, these days everything needs to be app'ified apparently), but it is not SIMPLE.
Simple is taking your car key, using it to unlock your filler cap and ... done.

The problem Nintendo is trying to solve here does_not_exist!

Rofl at this entire thread.

@Ralek85 But the app will do so much more than voice chat. Discord does voice chat - separately to the console game that you're playing - it's on a different device - but it doesn't send Room invites.
( I use discord currently).
The app will alert people that a room is created and link them directly to that room - they will know the room is there even if they are not at their Switch or their switch is off - they can see the room is on their phone - go to their switch and start playing with no hassle. As far as simplicity of connecting to 3.5mm jack cables into a cute Squid shaped mini-mixer ( with 2 way microphone connection - neat!) and then your headphones into the mixer - I can't think of anything any more simpler than that. . .

I'm sure Nintendo will continue to develop this process and will streamline it .. . but - I can't find anyone who's is actually using this today lol so I'll have to reserve final judgement until Friday

@cfgk24
PS4 already alerts you when your friends start a chat party....without looking at your phone. If you are away, they can msg you by the PS app or game specific app.

@cfgk24 I don't want to come off as an a**hole here, but what in god's name do you mean you "can't think of anything any more simpler than that" ??

Every BT headset ever is "simpler than that". I'm currently using a Skullcandy Plyr 1 for my gaming+voice chat purposes (otherwise I use Audiotechnica cans), and while that is connected with two wires as well, there are vast differences here:

the headset itself is wireless, just the base is wired
all those connections are digital (unlike those 3.5 jacks)
the headset allows for 3-D audio emulation by having Dolby Headphone process the 5.1 Dolby Digital Signal it receives via optical
it connects to my PC, PS3, PS4, X360 and X1 (the latter admittingly requiring one cable connecting the headset with the Xbox controller, but still ... it's a complete allrounder)

As for your point about room invites and all that ... is the Switch your only console by any chance? Because the party chat tools on Xbox and Playstation do all of that as well, integrated into the system os itself, and they have been doing this for years, in fact, over a decade now.
Again, maybe you don't know that, and hence it strikes you as somekind of "feature" or whatever (not trying to be condescending here, but your comments are genuinely baffling to me), but alas, they are not. For the most part they are basic features, which have been available on other platforms for longest time - and all of that without having restort to an additional smartphone app, and an additional mixer.

As far as Discord goes, how does that help with game audio? I mean, we (at least I for one) kinda want both ... ^^ I don't really care what particular piece of software or audio codec (as long as it doesn't sound tooooo compresed) handles the voice chat side of things, but it needs to work, and it needs to be useable, meaning simple and convenient.

PS: I used a Astro Mixamp before I used the Skullycandy and trust me ... nothing about it was simple or brilliant. It was expensive, cumbersome and inconvenient, but at the time, it was really the only solution for my specific needs. I still use it on very rare occassion, when I want to use my audiotechnica cans, but I still need voice chat - by way of an additional clipp-on microphone - but again, that whole setup is a mess of inconvenience. It does work though ... at the price tag you better believe it does

@Ralek85 No worries! I don't mind a healthy debate . And this appears to be a bit of a hot debate around the internet today

The Astro Mixamp thingy you mentioned - I had a look - it looks interesting but expensive.
Being a chip tune musician and Analogue Synth guy - I'm pretty obsessed about cabling and solutions to get around cabling problems and routing signals etc.
Forgive me - I had a PS4 and an Bone earlier this year -( I sold them) I cut my teeth on voice chat on Xbox 360 on Gears 2- but fell out of favour with it over the a**holes that kept swearing and whining about my my Mother - I never found the voice chat to be of a great quality and could always hear peoples TV speaker systems cutting through their mics. . . .

I'll take on board some of your comments - true I am less experienced than you at the PS4 and Bone account and chat and room-up solutions - but for em - on Friday - I will be sitting on my Sofa , with my GF - 2 switches, our Splat headphones ( lol) and chatting with our friends in game, in teams, in Belgium and Netherlands and UK and splatting everyone. .

Let's all hope it works out in the end

@Snaplocket But looking at SCALE doesn't matter. Saying it can't be a tablet b/c it can play certain games just means it's a next generation tablet. The Wii couldnt' play PS3 or Xbox 60 games, even though it was out at the same time, in part b/c Wii was SD and the other 2 were HD. The Wii U couldn't play PS4 or X1 games bc/ it didn't have the power. But you know what, Wii and Wii U were both consoles. Wii U is playing Zelda BotW, what does that matter? So saying Switch can play games that other tablets can't simply means Switch is a more powerful tablet, it doesn't make it not a tablet. iPad Air can play games iPad 1 can;'t. That doens't make iPad 1 nto a tablet. New 3DS can play games - XC for 1 - that 3DS can't, does that make 3DS nto a handheld?

Yes this Switch is a very powerful tablet, the most advanced tablet currently available, just like PS4 was the most powerful console until PS4 Pro came out, and until Xbox 1 X comes out. Newer more powerful hardware is always coming out, newer and more powerful tablets are always coming out. Nvidia built Shield to be a gaming tablet. Ntinedo basically slapped the word Switch on Nvidia Shield. It's a tablet built first and foremost for gaming, that doens't make it not a tablet. Indy 500 cars are cars built for racing, they aren't street legal, but everybody still calls them cars, nobody calls them rocket-ships, airplanes or submarines. Nobody says an Indy 500 car isn't a car b/c it isn't street legal, it's still a car, built for racing. Switch is a tablet built for gaming.

"it makes you look like a jerk."

Oh, now that's funny. My first comment on this thread was #95 replying to somebody else, not you. Then for whatever reason you felt the need to reply to me, starting w/ this - DOUBLE POST ALERT - I don't even know what that means, but whenever somebody starts of fa comment to me in all caps I take it as a bad sign. And your comment #4 was kind of obnoxious as well "If you really don't think it's worth it then don't buy it". Where in my comment #95 did I say it wasn't worth it? Maybe you assumed b/c I said it was a tablet it wasn't worth it, but I've many tablets, they were all worth it. If I was being a jerk it was b/c you started it.

I logged in quite smoothly. Seems the server issue was fixed.

@OorWullie What sense does that make? If the device has no internet connection, why would you need to talk to other players.

@Bengals76 Yes, this is rediculousness. And can someone explain why if my friends and I are all sitting there with out phones, why we wouldn't just do a conference call? Or FaceTime? We could see each other and use less battery than what this thing is supposed to use (ign reported 64% on an iPhone 6s for an hour and that isn't with voice chat the whole time). Amazingly, Nintendo has found a way to make online communication even worse than the last generation. I am at a loss.

I swear to god the same people who created this Switch Online app would design a car with hexagon-shaped wheels if those people were part of the automobile industry.

@Ps4all I left several comments soon after that one explaining my point as someone else asked me about that too. If you read below my comment, it makes more sense

@johncena I'm getting old obviously. Back in my day blah de blah...

@electrolite77 Agreed. More obstacles to play as we choose and we don't even know why. Does anyone know if Nintendo have commented on why they think this is the way to go?

Eurogamer has a pretty negative review of Nintendo's online service. "Every bit as bad as you feared."

Awful system for voice chat! Get it on the system like every other system. No no no Nintendo!!!!!!

@cfgk24 I was just bringing up the Astro Mixamp because from what I can tell, it does pretty much the same thing as that Squid'y Hori mixer in mixing voice chat audio and game audio (from two seperate sources, like a console and an external mic) into one output -> a headphone jack.

My point was that I found a basic BT headset a more convenient solution, though - as you mentioned - you need to set your TV/ soundsystem and your voice activation to the proper levels or you end up streaming your game sound to fellow players, which is incredibly annoying. So yeah, in the end I settled on the Plyr 1 because it forgoes that issue completely, without sacrificing postional audio cues (which are not optional in games like Overwatch or Destiny etc.) or the wireless conveniece of BT.

As for folks wo do stream their audio or you know ... curse or whatever, I mute them/kick them off the party or if that is not an option, I leave the voice chat altogether. I mean, why bother right? 90% of the time I voice chat with folks from my friendlist though, and you just don't friendlist people if my initial contact with them was marred by cursing or background audio

Anyways, I've been using a fair bit of voice chat on the X1 and alot of it on the PS4 (my "main system", so to speak), and really, aside form some folks with pure setups - either in terms of mic quality or background noise - I don't recall any significant problems whatsoever. In fact, my biggest gripe with the PS4 in this regard these days is the limit of party chat rooms to 8 players.

Most of the time that is enough, but on some occassions it is not, which then turns the whole thing into a bit of a hassle and frankly, a mess.

Hence I had hoped that Nintendo would just, you know, look at what the competition does, and take parts that work and copy those, while taking parts that don't and fix those and then give us a simple solution, that allows for as little hassle as possible. Having to buy a new hardware mixer (though the Astro might in fact work as well, because if I recall correctly it had an additional 3.5 jack for mixing in music), download a phone app, and get a whole bunch of new wiring going (for a portable, I for one play more often Off-TV than On-TV) ... like I said, I'm sorry, but that is the polar opposite of simple (or cheap as well).

It might work just fine, if you're willing to put up with it - most things do - but voice chat SHOULDN'T be one of those things, because it already works as it is - with zero need to reinvent it.

Before I close on this, I want to add a couple of major complaints that apparently exist with the app, that go way beyond wiring and inconvenience:

First, the worst offender to me is the fact that apparently there is no way to do voice chat outside of a game lobby. In short, you can't get a bunch of folks together discussing whether you want to play ARMS, Mario Kart, Splatoon or whatever - not without having previously agreed upon a game to host the discussion about which game to play. This is not simple or convenient and it's certainly completely silly.
I've played alot of Overwatch using voice chat on the PS4, and we always had 2-3 people in the party chat room, just hanging out, playing something differently .. waiting for a spot on our ranked pvp group to open up. Besides the in-team communication, that was really the main reason we had that chat room, so as to keep the group going without interruption even if one of the initial members had to sign off.

Secondly, the app apparently has to be active/ in the foreground at all times. Meaning if I e.g. switch to Telegram to answer or send a message, I'll have to drop out of voice chat for that time. Again, this makes no sense to me, because I'm used to picking up my phone answering messages while still being on voice chat, or even - omg multitasking ^^ - talking on voice chat. It's a small inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but it most definitely NOT BETTER than the implementation on Ps4/X1 or previous generations of these respective systems.

The ridiculous part seems to be that the app stops working if the phone goes to sleep, so you basically have to forcefully keep your phone from going to sleep just for this single app. Again, not impossible, not a complete deal breaker, but another pointless inconvenience.

I'm also not sure, that I came across a SINGLE tangible benefit to use players, that this 'solution' provides over other implementations. I surely hope there is one, because if there isn't - and that's just common sense I think, then the whole discussion here is utterly pointless. If there is no benefit, it doesn't matter if the problems it brings with it are big and small - all it offers are problems then, which I think everyone sould be able to agree with, cannot possibly be a good thing.

@Ralek85
100% agree. One guy was calling this setup "brilliant". It's OK to call Nintendo out when they make bad decisions. This is a bad decision. While Nintendo doesn't have games like Destiny where team communication is essential, it still would be fun to talk to friends while playing Mario Kart etc. But Nintendo is about bringing people together to play. Making online games you can play with your friends should be a no brainer. They should be leading the charge on community based games. You don't have to talk to strangers. If a game requires a team and you have no friends, you can easily recruit a team on a message board....just put out what you're looking for in a group (age, times you like to play, whether you are laid back or serious).

@WOLF1313 I think that's actually quite right. One thing about "party chat" I really love on the PS4 (it works on the X1 as well, and actually worked on PC since the days of TS and Ventrillo) is the fact that around these chats, entire communities spring up.
People hanging out, even if they are not playing, or people hanging out to chat while playing different games, or people (not necessarily real-life friends even) getting your to play stuff ... so you can play with them, stuff you might not have otherwise played.

I never experienced any of that on a Nintendo system, as it was not possible given the staggering restrictions on any kind of communication and the sheer impossiblity of having this "hanging-out" situation. The sad part is, that this really helps create strong ties between consumers and a "box", because they (certainly me) are not just attached to the "box" itself, but also the folks they interact with on that system.

That's one of the reasons Microsoft really screwed the pooch with the X1 and while they most likely won't be able to recover this generation, because whole groups of friends and 'social networks' (using that term loosely here) migrated to Playstation early on, or they just ... naturally formed on that system.

Unless all/ most of your friends/ 'social network' are willing to migrate back to the X1, chances are that this will be a major hurdle for you yourself to decide to do just that.

Nintendo of all the gaming companies out there, I agree with your 100% on this, should be the on aboslutely leading the charge in a) helping creating these kind of communities and b) FIRMLY tethering them to their ecosystem AND their hardware.

Unfortunately, it's not just true that this is not helping in achieving this, but also that Nintendo is at least a decade later here, and I'Ve always insisted, that you cannot succeed in this day and age without that component (and I was insistent in bringing this up in every discussion about the WiiU: it's not a propely interconnected ecosystem, and people have zero social captial invested into it, etc. ...)

Outside of the fact, that I personally have no desire to deal with this hot mess, because I know it will annoy me, and I will stop using it anyway, I'm genuinely affraid, that it will impede Nintendo's future prospects if it is not massively improved in a timely fashion. No, that's not quite right ... I'm really just afraid, that it is 2017 and Nintendo has still not understood why this is important. Because if they haven't understood it until now, I don't think they ever will.

This is of import way beyond this singular instance of Nintendo screwing up a voice chat integration on the Switch.

I'm currently doing a UX internship study right now, and this app system seems like a clear case of what not to do. The workflow is totally convoluted. Yikes. Nintendo should hire a UX team to smooth out their mobile wrinkles.

@DiddlyDoneDead I guess that everyone sorta thought/ hoped that their partnership with DeNA was meant to "smooth out their mobile wrinkles" - as you put it.

To be fair though, the thing most of us are concerend with it, is not the wrinkles on mobile so much as that there is anything mobile (other than the Switch itself obviously) involved at all.

@OorWullie Sweet. Thailand is awesome, I was in Phuket a few times with the Marines. Wonderful place.

@Ralek85 yes, the simplest workflow would have everything on a single device. But if there's no option for this, having a mobile strategy that's not a complete clustercuss would be preferable.

@Yasaal Don't worry. I've got it here in Canada now, you aren't missing much. You literally just sign in and it tells you to come back later when it releases for reals.

Dear Nintendo, your piece of crap app sucks. Give us a better solution for our voice chat or you won't see a dollar from us for your online service next year. Seriously you had being warned.

@Bengals76 Anyone able to purchase video games which they obviously are if they are to encompass this awful app situation, just needs to buy two less games and get themselves a smart phone instead. Simple and easy solution. Dont make out its such a grand luxury.

Utter rubbish can't go online and chat with friends against online opponents. Only friends vs friends!

@Captain_Gonru "craze" is over, no doubt, but it's nto liek Ntineod was trying to sell Cloud, B, and Corrin. They released the same day as Splatoon 2 and those 3 new amiibo, which did get advertised a lot. Had they released those 3x2 amiibo the day SSB4 Deluxe released they woudl haev sold better. Random releases don't sell.

Plus, people have given up. All of theose Zelda BotW amiibo aren't selling bc/ nobody is looking for them, there weren't any on the shelves for 3 months now, people have stopped looking. Too much randomness, nto enough stock, weird timing, no game connection. I really believe there is no amiibo Chief at Ntinedo.

gotta go, more later