Nintendo Really Wants You To Use A Wired Connection For Smash Bros. Ultimate

Then they should’ve added more than two USB ports to the Switch dock. Mine will be occupied by the GameCube controller adapter, leaving no room for a wired connection.

EDIT: I forgot about the hidden one in the back of the dock, haha.

I only can play in handheld mode, so...

I really only play handheld so it's going to have to be wireless.

But then again, I constantly have issues with Splatoon so... maybe my internet just sucks?

Edit: I did a speed test and my internet is quite fast. Why do I get errors in Splatoon every other battle?

I've been playing fighting games online for around 10 years with wireless connections. I have no plans to use a wired connection for Smash Ultimate unless the experience really sucks (which would doubly suck, since I'm paying for the privilege)

I have a wired LAN adapter for the Wii. Will that work?

@thesilverbrick there are 3. 2x 2.0 on the side and 1x 3.0 in the back with the hdmi and power insert.

@Varelius Oh, right, haha. I forgot about that one.

Why do we still have to purchase LAN adapters for gaming consoles in 2018?

Screw online.

"Where did I put my LAN adapter"? More like "where did I put my dock?" for me. And if my hotspot is somehow enough to maintain Paladins matches, I dare expect that Smash will be fine, too. Never had any online issues in Smash 3DS either.

Nintendo pre-warning everyone that their netcode sucks

Nah.

If Sakurai wants me to use a LAN adapter, he can personally buy me one.

Otherwise, I'm going full wireless, baby!

@RushDawg Wireless in general is just bad for gaming as wireless is Half-Duplex rather than Full Duplex.
Half is where it has to send then wait for a response before it can send again. its like "Let me slap your hand with my right hand. now i put up my left hand and wait for you to slap it back so i can slap you with my right again."

Full duplex, which you can get with ethernet mainly, allows the hardware to send AND receive at the same time which is very critical for things that need to stay in constant communication aka video games. You can send your inputs as well as receive other player inputs at the exact same time rather than send yours and wait for another.

This is the MAIN REASON people see things like "your connection is unstable" in games like splatoon 2. If someones wireless has interference that send/wait crap can't keep up and it disconnects entirely.

edit: this also leaves a bad taste on all player's impressions for having to deal with someones unstable connection or lag from half duplex. In a game like smash, wireless is just gonna likely get you blocked by most of your opposition so they don't ever match with you again.

double edit: this doesn't apply to MIMO wireless technology (which the switch does not support so don't bother using that on me lol.)

I thought this was a pretty disappointing and desperate move form Nintendo. We pay for online connectivity (at a very fair rate) so it shouldn't be too much to ask that all connection modes are fully supported. I have no way of getting online using a wire so why should I be penalised compared to those that can? When buying an online subscription Nintendo don't say that features may be limited by connection type.

They need you to have a good connection... because you're providing the server. If you drop out then all players drop out.

Thought they said they were investigating dedicated servers for games like Smash and Mario Kart. Guess not.

Pay a subscription AND buy a LAN port AND make sure you're using it.

No thanks.

I have a lan adapter (not official) and it dosent work with my switch and im not buying another one just for this.

My Switch is five feet from my wireless router and works just as well online as my Xbox One and PS4 which are set up via wired connection. Personally, the Switch is the first Nintendo console that I've owned that didn't have a dkdkdkfnm wireless connection. The Wii and Wii U were both horrible wireless.

@Arpie Thats not how it works and that is not why sakurai is recommending it.

@bezerker99 yes it will.

I’m going wireless. My dock is 8 feet from the router, never had an issue with connectivity other than the dark days of Fortnite optimization.

@Arpie it's RECOMMENDED not neccessary

Hmm, no option to select, I will not be playing online, loner single player for me

The wireless has been fine for me so far, with online gaming, but it's an option, not a requirement

I'll probably do a good bit of my playing in handheld mode so it'll be wireless for me. Also, my dock is on the opposite side of the room from my router so that's also a potential issue with going wired.

@Varelius OK so how does it work? I only have a wireless connection and Nintendo have said that I will have a worse experience if I use wireless. I know the technical limitations of wireless vs wired. It doesn't change that fact it is up to Nintendo to overcome the challenges for all players and not leave half their customer base in the lurch.

@Pokeman_noob Yes they said that in the direct.

@Arpie That has absolutely nothing to do with Nintendo. You are providing your own connection to the internet. To connect to THEIR service, you need to provide YOUR OWN ability to do so. Just like you're connecting to this website.

Look up MIMO ethernet powerline adapters. there. i just saved you a headache. (You need two. starter kits.)

edit: also...USB LAN adapters are cheap. You paid that much for the switch, i'm not sure why 10-15 more is gonna put a dent in your wallet.

USB network adapters that work with the Switch are like under $15.
Wired network connections are superior to wireless in a myriad of ways even if your wifi is as good as it possibly can be. Most people don't understand all the things that can slow down or interfere with wifi, regardless of what it says your connection speed is. You might think your wifi is "fine" but it's because you've normalized "sucks".

Excuses are lame. I ran a network cable to my AV stack by my TV and then put in an 8-port switch so that everything by my TV (Switch, Blu-ray player, Roku, Steam box and 2 different Raspberry Pis) can have a perfect network connection.

Ya know, there's an easy way for wireless wifi on your Switch. Turn your laptop or computer into a hot mobile spot. It worked for me on my Switch when I first learned about it on the internet. Maybe they should have added that using your laptop as a hot mobile spot which will make things easier for connecting your Switch to the internet.

I use my old Wii lan adapter anway

I have my wifi router in the main floor of my house, and my dock set up in my bedroom so I couldn't use a wired connection. But couldn't you use a usb-c otg adapter for handheld/tabletop play.

@NintendoFan4Lyf if you have a spare router lying around, you could turn it into a network switch that just acts as a passthrough to open up more for it.

I have the adapter but need to upgrade my modem because my Switch won't connect to my home Wifi at all until I do. Bleh this game.

@Varelius I'm sorry but I have to disagree here that it has nothing to do with Nintendo. My connection to the internet is fine, I can browse, play games and stream HD video all without drop out and with very low latency using my current wireless connection on many different devices (and regularly with several devices at once).

They have effectively said they do no have faith in their product's (the Switch) ability to connect wirelessly to the internet and maintain a connection good enough to play Smash online. That is not mine or anyone else who has a wireless connection fault , it's the fault of the Switch's wireless hardware. If Nintendo want to go down an online path they needed to make sure that all the options they presented were up to scratch. Requiring an addition purchase of an official adapter just rubs salt into the wound.

I have worked with both wired and wireless networks all my life. Any company that specifically recommends wired over wireless for a consumer product has screwed up because nowadays there are very few situations where wireless is outclassed by wired by any meaningful amount (there are some but non-pro gaming is not one of them).

"While you could argue that this is common sense - wired connections always offer better performance over wired ones"

Typo Alert

Edit: It's been fixed now.

If Nintendo put a good Wi-Fi receiver in the Switch this wouldn't be a problem.

I'm playing Wi-Fi. With wired controllers. lol

Come on Nintendo, we're paying for the online service.

Real company now please.

@Varelius I think @Arpie is correct that this is an issue that Nintendo should overcome.

I've not come across another game in the last 10 years that has recommended you connect via LAN.

I strongly suspect the reason for this is because they continue to use peer to peer hosting and now they are charging for the online service everyone being affected by the hosts connection will not be acceptable.

The today's Nintendo :

Pay to get your game
Pay to play online
Pay to get a LAN adapter
Pay to get a GameCube Controllers
Pay to get DLCs

Super Smash is not Ultimate at all !
YOU CAN MAKE THE ULTIMATE SSMB but it's not from the start. :/

Handheld players will lose to docked players due to latency. Nintendo needs to show if the players are playing docked or undocked and matched players accordingly.

Full wireless, to me the Switch is a handheld.

@Cobalt I actually argued the case a few weeks ago that it would not have DLC because they called it Ultimate, and if you buy 'ultimate' nothing can be better.

Egg on my face.

@Cobalt but you don't need a gcn controller or a lan adapter. You don't need to buy the DLC either. There's no base to these parts of your argument.

@Blizzia Say, do you have a good wireless connection? If not, then might I suggest turning your computer or laptop into a hot mobile spot? Some people with bad wifi don't realize that you can connect the Switch to the internet better by turning your computer or laptop into a hot mobile spot. It worked for my Switch.

"wired connections always offer better performance over wired ones"

Yes, and tasty food is always better than tasty food.

Sunny days are always better than sunny days.

@Trajan I say it before and I say it again, using your laptop as a hot mobile spot works wonder for your Switch.

I doubt I need one, but have Nintendo produced an official one?

I have three dogs and can't keep my dock plugged in all the time. Wireless it is.

Ridiculous demand. How am I able to play on PSN & XBL without LAN adapters?

@BumpkinRich @Arpie

tl;dr - What you're thinking is not the actual problem. Use wireless, its there, but its still sub-optimal compared to wired.

It is recommended for smash, and all games that follow this suit, because smash is likely gonna be a delay based game again where all the frames are in sync over the network. Unless this one uses rollback netcode, in which it would be painfully apparent just how much you have a connection unable to keep up IN PACKETS (not the speed of your connection but PACKETS as all data goes at 2/3rds the speed of light in copper, and whatever is in the way regarding wireless, over the internet REGARDLESS OF SPEED.) , in which you would be teleporting all over the place to everyone else. If its delay based, wireless would be unable to keep up at the best pace possible creating input delay for every person in the lobby.

long story short - can it work. yes but suboptimally where the ones that are setup to be optimal will have to put up with it being suboptimal because you're using half duplex wireless hardware.

This is not something "nintendo can overcome". this is what you would call a bottleneck and its in all hardware that uses wireless that isn't using MIMO. PCs. PS4s. Xboxs. They're all being suboptimal in gaming. ESPECIALLY Fighters. Every fighting game community pleads you to use wired.

if you want me to give you a solid example of what I mean, look no further than the state of street fighter V's online. That is rollback netcode where one person just teleports all over the place to the one that isn't on wireless or hardware thats dropping frames.

Anyways, i'm done and rest my case. Use what you want, but thats just the reality of it. Its a technology bottleneck that is not nintendo's fault. If you want to blame anyone, blame the ones who created how radio transmissions work before MIMO technology.

Looking at the results of the poll, Sakurai would be very disappointed in us all

So wait, can I still play Smash Bros Ultimate online with wireless? Since my Nintendo Switch is connected to my computer through a mobile hotspot, will using a mobile hotspot help with playing Smash online?

@Blizzia

If I get Smash U L T I M A T E, it has to be ULTIMATE !

How can you play something technical like Smash without a TOPNOTCH connection, meaning WIRED ! ?

How can you play GOOD with the Joycons ? The NGC controller is the perfect match for SSMB...

How you can play and train to the best as you can if you don't have the FULL version of the game ? Meaning DLCs...

And yet somehow all other games, many of them requiring even faster reactions than Smash, don't require a wired adapter. Huh.

Cya
Raziel-chan

@Alantor28 You'll be able to play, but if your connection is unstable it won't be that great an experience.

@Chrono_Meridian how come ?

@Varelius My internet connection is good, although a bit laggy, but thanks to turning my laptop into a mobile hotspot, I should be okay with playing the Switch online.

@Alantor28 dude, just stop with this! You've mentioned it what 4 or 5 times now.

Creating a hotspot with your computer is less superior than connecting to a wifi access point or a physical line! You dont know what you're talking about but I'm glad this workaround worked for you.

@Grant007 Dude, no need for attacking me for stating an opinion. At least you could have been nice about it.

@Alantor28 Thanks for the advice, but yeah my wireless is pretty great I also have my router out in the open, and I usually play with almost everything else turned off to avoid any kind of interference

There was no begging...

@Cobalt

See, Cobalt, this is why some people mislabel you as a troll. The way you write, and how you state things that are pure opinion as fact.

Smash Ultimate refers to the fact that all characters that have been previously playable are playable. That's why the game is called Ultimate.

Smash, just like any other online game ever, can be played just fine wirelessly. I always play wirelessly in handheld mode with my joycons, and I've been x-ranked in splatoon 2 plenty of times, as an example.

There's no doubt that a wired connection is superior, but it's far from necessary. Also, there are far more technical games than Smash. Not that that is a good thing, mind you. I hate games that overcomplicate things, like most fighters do.

The gamecube controller might be the perfect match for YOU, but I find it to be absolute garbage. Heck, my joy-con have proven the perfect match for every game I've played so far on the Switch, and this will undoubtedly be the same case. Joy-con easily let you play WELL. Your skill level is not based on your controller.

You don't need the DLCs to train. You can still face people who have DLC characters. You just can't play them yourself. Which you don't need to in order to become the best. You just need to know how to counter them.

Does anyone know what speeds you can achieve via a wired internet connection? I’m thinking my cable must be bad or something because it’s not that great now.

I already use my Wii U Lan adapter since launch day cause the WiFi of the Switch is actually really bad. Splatoon 2 is so much better wired than playing wireless.

@Varelius If $10-$15 is an insignificant amount of money, why can't Nintendo spend less than that to simply add an Ethernet port on the dock?
Maybe the rumoured
"New Nintendo Switch" will have one.
I find it hard to believe that cost is the limiting factor here, but it's still annoying.

@Mrbayram92 I don't have a TV ^^'

"wired connections always offer better performance over wired ones"

Typo me thinks XD

Nah im good i'll stick to wireless thanks

@Chrono_Meridian oh ok then makes sense then 😂

They should make a bundle "Smash+LAN Adapter". Profit.

Or how about you make a dock for your "home" console that actually bloody does something

Wireless is too unreliable

@Varelius I know what the limitations are and I know it would be better wired. All my consoles are wired despite the router being in the same room for this reason.

However, Nintendo are running a 4 player fighting game peer to peer. So even if the 3 clients are wired they are not going to have an optimal experience. This is a problem that can be overcome.

I know dedicated servers are not the fix most think they are but Smash is going to come with all the same disconnection issues that all their games do. Again, something that Nintendo could address.

And that this is their first online game after starting to charge, asking people to plug LAN cables in is mad and embarrassing. Mention it on the FAQs maybe but as part of the direct. Most people havent plugged in a LAN cable in 10 years.

given the number of fighting games on the switch I will have to finally cave and get the adaptater. Never kick, punch, footsie or hadoken on wireless if you don't have to.

I beefed up my internet just for this game, so I will see how the wireless holds up. But if I sense any disruptions or regular latency, I will use the ethernet in a heartbeat. I am not repeating the latency nightmare I had on Wii U.

@tabris95 TWENTY YEARS LATER the Dreamcast still has Nintendo beat. I wish some people would stop letting Nintendo off the hook for all their anti-consumer practices (of which there are enough to provide daily featured NL articles for the next couple of years) all because they occasionally make a nice game. Nintendo truly is the Apple of video games, and still that's an insult to Apple.

Then they ought to have built an ethernet port into the dock. I finally caved and bought a PS4 over the weekend for Red Dead and was pleasantly surprised to find an ethernet port on the back.

Switch lacks the power to provide the instant feedback Smash Bros players are accustomed to wirelessly.

@TheBigK Breath of the Wild on Switch would've been a better purchase.

So, later Nintendo will release SSMB Ultimate: Ultimate edition, including. LAN Adapter and all DLCs...

This is the Hori controller:
HORI Nintendo Switch Real Arcade Pro V Hayabusa Fight Stick

https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Switch-Arcade-Hayabusa-Officially-Licensed/dp/B01N4P40LG/ref=sr_1_9/130-8753275-9826141?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1541112238&sr=1-9&refinements=p_4%3AHORI

But just one of them alone breaks my bank.... but if I had the case I get two of them.

Screw Nintendo Online service membership it sucks! No good games or discounts and they advertised we don't need to pay to play online imo,but for Super Smash bros I just might have to.

If I find issue with my wireless connection I can pick up the LAN adapter. I don't think I'd need it though, as I haven't had any issues playing Splatoon 2 or Mario Kart 8 online.

@bezerker99 yes

Nintendo should of included a LAN port on the dock. They are once again behind the times. The PS4 and Xbox One comes with a LAN port built in. Even the PS2 has one. I should not have to buy a LAN adapter. There is a USB port that I never use where a LAN port should be. Anyways, wireless seems to work fine for me but I'll buy a LAN adapter as a last resort.

@thesilverbrick You only need to plug in the black one to use the adapter. The grey one is to provide power for rumble, so you can leave it off or plug it in somewhere else.

@bezerker99 should do

I don't think Nintendo understands how the Internet works. Don't see why this would need to be on LAN. the only thing I can think of, is that they are trying to negate issues in households with multiple people streaming media over WiFi.

Also, this may relate to many ISP supplied routers being garbage.
I have always swapped out whatever is provided for an alternative and the difference is usually night and day. Many don't do this however. Wired connections would potentially negate such issues.

We will see when it's out I guess...

@MortalKombat2007 1000%agree was super cheeky of them not to. It was not a cheap system. Would have made it all look so much neater mounted on the wall.

"Now where did I put that LAN adapter?"

I've been asking that very same thing yesterday.
However, given wired connections have a nasty habit of messing with my router, wireless is the only way to go for me. Which sucks, because Italy has been actively working towards total optic fiber integration only recently.

@tabris95
Because we are Nintendo fans. It's a curse

@Damo "wired connections always offer better performance over wired ones".

@thesilverbrick You can also use a USB hub to add more ports (probably better to use one that have an external power supply though)

There's a LAN adapter? Jeez, I'm getting old. How did I bot know this🤔 If the Switch is docked, isn't that the same thing? I have to buy an adapter too?

@justin233 No shame man, I need wires cuz my internet is bad.

@JudgeMethos It's not the same thing. the LAN adapter allws you to wire your internet for flawless play online. The Switch has a port for this hidden in the back of the switch dock (right above or below the adapter where the switch is charged). You can buy them at varying prices on Amazon.

@Braok Neat. I didn’t know that. I appreciate that tip!

yeah.

...in handheld.

I have to say, and I’m not trying to sound like a doom and gloom guy, but this part of the direct gave me pause.

Because if I buy the switch and Ultimate (which is probably inevitable but still), then I’m gonna need to pay for online, but it doesn’t sound like Nintendo’s doing that much to make it better than what I was getting free with Wii U.

On day one I bought an Ethernet adapter for my Switch. It was $11 and it ensures that my downloads go way faster and I have perfect connections for online games.

They’re worth having. It’s not mandatory, but it improves the experience when you’re playing in docked mode. All of my consoles are wired, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I'm tired of greedy Nintendo, have buy game, pay for online, and buy lan adapter. How bout greedy Nintendo put some money in servers for the game and how bout offering voice chat in 3rd party games? Where the gdshgdd is online subscription money going? is any of it getting invested into online infrastructure or is it going straight to Nintendo's bottom line

Still use my LAN adapter from the Wii era for the dock in my room and use wireless for the dock in the living room and obviously handheld. Good internet so no problems 90% of the time wireless.

I just see this as a PSA for the people who have questionable internet. Would be nice if he also recommended the internet speed as well but that might be taken the wrong way too.

@JohnMurphy i'm aware of what powerline adapters do. The difference is that it sends a wireless signal over a physical source rather than through the air.

@JohnMurphy I know.

@JohnMurphy i know. if the world would just move on to IPv6, then NAT would no longer be necessary anyway.

edit: if you're referring to when i suggested to someone to use a spare router as a network switch, i meant it exactly as that. a network switch. If you shut of all routing functions (ex DHCP), shut off NAT, turn off all its security etc then you can use it as a hub/switch where it'll just be a passthrough for ethernet ports 1-4.

oh...and I really don't understand why (other than microsoft) gaming companies have not adopted IPv6.

@Varelius I disagree with you but I doubt we will see eye to eye on this issue so we shall just have to agree to disagree. Thank you for debating the issue.

@justin233 most disconections normally have nothing to do with speed your wireless router is probably either garbage(provieded by the internet provider) or not strong enough of a signal and its dropping off after its used for a little. either upgrade the router, or you can get a lan adapter and a usb-c to usb-a adapter that plugs into the bottom of the switch and will allow you to go wired while in handheld albeit a cord will have to run to the router.