If you're a big Splatoon 2 fan you might be interested know that it is possible to use voice chat within the game without the need to use the Nintendo Online smartphone companion app. This functionality only works in LAN mode, however, and it isn't particularly great - as you can hear if you watch IGN's test video below.
If you want to give LAN voice chat a try for yourself, simply head into Splatoon 2's Shoal lobby while holding down the left thumbstick along with L+R. You'll then be in LAN mode; plug in some headphones which also have a mic and you will be able to chat to any other players on your network.
While it's neat that you don't need to rely on the Switch mobile app for LAN play over a wide-ish local area or in a noisy tournament environment, the sound quality is pretty awful. We'll stick with the app or third-party options.
[source za.ign.com, via neogaf.com]
Comments (32)
Does Nintendo have a phobia of big bad swear words? because it's inexcusable for voice chat to be this poorly implemented.
Headset looks cool tho
@AlphaJaguar not only that but the general voice chat support is an
impudence.
A LAN voice chat option for the people sitting beside you IRL.
Oh Nintendo~
lol!
@Menchi187 exactly. Why on earth do you need to voice chat people on the same wifi you are. Silly.
Bummer. :x
This highlights a weakness of the Switch.
I can't facepalm hard enough.
At least know we know for sure that this whole mess is entirely intentional. There is NO way in all of existence, all of this mess came together THIS absurdly weird by chance.
I have no idea as to the why and how, but this tale of Nintendo's own making is growing ever more intricate and impressive.
I can't wait for the next chapter ... it's like GoT just with less Dragons
Heh, I'm so glad I'm uninvested in this voice chat controversy.
Having a voice chat for people on the same LAN isn't stupid.
LAN not always mean that the other persons sit beside you!
We have three stories at home for example but are all in the same network so it would make sense for us to have this option if it would be good of course to speak with each other.
@zyn I understand that LAN doesn't mean you have to sit next to each other, but why wouldn't you want to? It seems rather anti social to be in the same house and not bother to walk into the room with the people you are playing with. And to voice chat them from another room is even more bizarre to me.
As I understand those headphones have a very low volume output which means you struggle to hear anything even when on full volume.
Lol. LAN is the one scenario where vc is completely superflous. You can just talk/shout to the people sitting next to you. ^^
OH... Nintendo! you odd desions. are a bit brainless...
@Ps4all I would say that is your opinion and taste while other people can have other opinions and taste in their gaming behaviour.
Nintendo doesn't want you to be able to communicate with your friends online in any way. No direct messages, no party chat, chat not implemnted in the OS, friend codes. Nintendo has done everything in their power to make online gaming with friends the biggest hassle in the world.
Lol
everything around this is just bizarre hopefully they work out how to get this working properly maybe voice chat through Bluetooth headphones?
Yikes, if it sounds like that with LAN play, imagine if they have this set-up with online play. Talk about the lesser of two evils.
Read the IGN article, still can't make sense for Reggie's reason for voice chat tied to a mobile app. He says for convenience and "reinforce the capability to take your experience with you on the go". This makes no sense to me since in more cases people will be at home online for voice chat and having just a headset is more convenient than a headset and a phone hookup.
@Ps4all Because you don't want to move your 55" TV to another floor just to play Splatoon 2 and move it back when you finish playing it?
@NinNin good point. For some reason I was thinking of handheld mode only.
@zyn I agree with you 100%. Everyone is entitled to play the way they like and I am all for more options, even if they are options I don't take advantage of. As NinNin pointed out, this would be useful in docked mode.
If it only check for LAN connection, you can use a virtual lan like hamachi, right?
So you can chat with long distance friends, not only ones in the same room.
Nintendo just REALLY don't want you chatting with strangers.
Nintendo really screwed up by not putting in a simple audio IC that takes care of this at a low level.... I really can't wait to get a switch and I still like the switch and everything but they really should not have rushed out the door, so many opportunities missed.
@Ps4all I didn't realize so many people have multiple HDTVs in the same room.
They need a game called Stranger Danger where the voicechat works perfectly.
@Exy Like I said in my reply to NinNin, I hadn't thought of this as a docked mode LAN party until they mentioned it. I was thinking of everyone sitting in the same room in portable mode. It makes sense to use chat if you don't want to rearrange your furniture. Although, we used to set up multiple tvs in the same room back in the day to play Halo or COD LAN parties.
@Ps4all Having a quick look at the documentation it seems to suggest LAN play supports docked mode. As such perhaps people would rather play docked on their own TV, possibly with a Pro controller, over sitting in a single room likely in handheld mode.
http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/27035/~/how-to-use-the-lan-play-feature-of-splatoon-2
Actually for Splatoon the documentation takes it further and seems to suggest each Switch requires its own TV in 'LAN' mode. I can't imagine too many houses have multiple TV's in the one room so voice chats an ideal thing to have.
Could be a logistical thing rather than people being social or unsocial.
@Smigit yes, I am aware that is an option, I just did not take that into account when I wrote the original post.
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