PSA: Remember To Update Your Joy-Con, As Well As Your Nintendo Switch

Why did it take 4 years for Bluetooth audio support?

I have been loving the Bluetooth update, being able to use headphones both docked and portably has been a godsend, even the PS4 doesn't support native Bluetooth without specific headsets if I recall correctly.

@Dpishere
I can't wait to try it out

Does it get rid of joycon drift?

(This is a joke BTW)

@zapswitch Because the bluetooth hardware is terrible and you're better off with a bluetooth dongle due to the audio lag.

@NotoriousWhiz I have have had no problems, I watch movies and play games and see very minimal latency, not even noticable to me, but I have newer headphones. It works perfectly for me.

Nice updates in time for oled model

@Snatcher This is what I want to know too

Does anyone know how this update affects the switch lite?

@Snatcher of course not silly, those controllers are physically defective and no update could ever fix them. Although that's not a story a Nintendo rep would tell...

@HedgehogEngine Ha ha most of that tech stuff went over my head, I am far from an audiophile, I am just saying for me it more than suits the job.

It is a crime that these Joy-Con updates aren't automatic when you attach them to the console.

What do these controller updates actually do?

@Zach777

They add file folders.

@Snatcher nah it improves drift so we will drift even better perfect for drifting in Mario Kart

No amount of updates will make my right joy-con not do whatever the hell it wants.

@VexingInsanity @CodyMKW @VexingInsanity Aw man! maybe next time.

@HedgehogEngine I'm an audio guy and I totally get envying someone who "isn't picky enough". I really miss those days when I actually listened to the music and not "the gear". It's a sickness, constantly searching for that next upgrade (only to realize that $5K you just spent only resulted in a sidegrade). Ah, regret...

This is where having multiple pairs sucks lol.

I finally fixed my joycon drift permanently. No thanks to nintendo. It was a guy on YouTube that made that possible.

Update fixes Drift? If not I simply cannot use them and I do hope Nintendo gets sued and fined for this.

Any word if there is a pro controller update as well?

@hakjie11 send them for repair. I finally broke down and sent in 8 controllers to repair in two sets of 4. Now they all temporarily work again.

@zapswitch The joycons also run on Bluetooth, and software limitations for bandwidth forced Nintendo to choose between supporting a lot of controllers, OR audio. They figured out a way to do both, although at the expense of about half of the controller capability.

@Dpishere I haven't had a problem with it either, I tested both my speaker and headphones. I noticed a little more latency with my speaker than my headphones but not too much to be a bother. Like you I'm not an audiophile either, all the specs stuff is irrelevant if the product doesn't work.

I've been having an issue where my switch fan gets louder than usual. Almost making a grinding noise. Might have to get that Oled model sooner than i thought.

@hakjie11 No update will ever fix your drift. It’s a hardware issue.

i think everyone knows to update their joy con after each update. lol why keep posting this reminder?

@Snatcher I'm pretty sure the joycon drift is a hardware issue, which means it can't be patched with a firmware upgrade. I bought new analogue sticks and replaced the old ones. 👍

Yeah ive got drift on my right syick. I was always one of the lucky ones that disnt suffer for a few years then it happened. I only noticed it when my daughter said it wasnt her fault she was playing Mario kart so bad and kept hitting the left wall 😂. Its a pain playing games that take a finer precise movement, like Pokemon snap. I think im just gonna swap the stick out. £10 for 4 from amazon. No brainer.

@Kidfunkadelic83 send them to Nintendo UK Repairs, its free and every time they fix it gets an extra years warranty.

@Bunkerneath problem is that im left without a switch to play on for however long it takes. Im certainly not buying another set and giving more money for poorly built products.

@HedgehogEngine Yes, yes, yes, lol. And you would think $9K would absolutely do it. The funny thing is, (and I'll avoid "gear flexing" here) that my used Proceed solid state setup, made in the early 90s, still blows away most of the stuff I try out to upgrade. For other types of "beefy" music, my Krell gear, again early 90s and purchased used, is also unbeatable. A very wise dealer near me, who stood to make a bunch of money selling me new gear, and take mine in trade, urged me to keep my stuff instead when I told him what I had. Love honest people!

On a related note, it's a shame Ninty doesn't include support for more external DACs. I have a couple I'd love to connect but they aren't supported. I tried the supported Earstudio DAC, and overall it had surprisingly good sound, but it started popping and sizzling after a couple of weeks so back to Amazon. I have a Dragonfly Red, unsupported last time I checked. Do you have any recommendations for a modestly priced portable DAC supported by Switch?

@NotoriousWhiz
No audio lag if they support BT5.0 like e.g. AirPods Pro.
Tested it with Sine Mora EX and all works perfect.

@Zach777 "What do these controller updates actually do?"

I was wondering the same thing. It's not like they're adding new features and functionality.

@stuntz0rZ "i think everyone knows to update their joy con after each update. lol why keep posting this reminder?"

I actually appreciate the reminder, because not every firmware update includes a Joy Con update. What baffles me is why the Joy Con firmware isn't updated automatically.

@Michaelrojelio84 Yeah the Bluetooth isn't perfect but is more than good enough if you have good headphones, it's the only way I will be playing Switch now.

@zapswitch An excerpt - What's the problem with Bluetooth?
"In case you're curious as to why game consoles still don't support Bluetooth audio when so many other devices do, the reason largely comes down to two issues: signal interference and latency."
https://mashable.com/article/ps5-xbox-series-x-how-to-use-wireless-headphones

@Dpishere I will probably use my headphones more often when I play, especially when it's late at night out of respect for my neighbors.

My Skullcandy Hesh 2's work great with no latency, the only problem is that it's quieter than other devices I use. Heck, my PS4 and PS5 can also use my Skullcandies and yet they produce higher volumes.

PSA - Your mileage will vary depending on your phones/gear. I tried running my Switchlite to a standalone streaming DAC/Preamp (NAD C658, which is always connected to my computer) with massive latency. I also tried Apple Air Pods, and noticed latency. Apple Air Pods Pro worked surprisingly well, no noticeable lag and good sound quality. Gave the Klipsch Fives a spin with direct Bluetooth, laggy but not too terrible, but muffled sound and sloppy bass.

I'd suggest that good IEPs will do the trick. Anyone else try other IEPs?

@HedgehogEngine I'm using the Dragontail USB-C they include with the Red (with the Jitterbug FMJ b/c I'm crazy). Tried it again after today's update and no dice. I'm reading that Schitt DACs work with Switch as do others that share the same chipset. Going to stick with the Air Pods Pro, I got the best results with them.

I thought about getting the Cobalt when I got the Red, but decided to save the extra 100. I'm glad I did in retrospect b/c apparently the Cobalt has compatibility issues.

Good stuff!

@Dpishere So true, the option to use any Bluetooth headphones is so sweet. No other system allows it yet. Unless you have a USB adapter.

@Kadosho Yeah it is beyond convenient, was a very nice surprise.

Gotta do that now....

@jsty3105
Thanks for the link. It was pretty interesting.

@Zach777 nothing, I believe it's just so there are no connectivity problems with the tablet unit for what I can tell

@Brommel The Switch doesn't support Bluetooth 5.0. The AirPods Pro and other BT 5.0 headsets will fall back to 4.1 when connecting to the Switch.
I'm not sure why there would be any significant difference in latency between two headsets using BT 4.1. The Switch also only supports the SBC codec, which is compatible with pretty much every device, but suffers in audio quality and latency.

I tried playing Project Diva Mega Mix with my Bose QC35 headset and the latency (around 300-500ms) made it unplayable. I'll stick to wired (using a USB DAC when docked) for that, and probably use Bluetooth for most other games where latency doesn't matter. The latency isn't really noticeable when using the same headset with other devices (BT 4.1, using AAC codec).

@hakjie11
https://youtu.be/Vid8lIXmZwE

Becoming common knowledge. Cheers!

@Kidfunkadelic83

https://youtu.be/Vid8lIXmZwE

Cheers!

@nessisonett

This guy solved the problem 2 months ago. Look at the comments. IGN, Wulff Den, etc. all on board.
https://youtu.be/Vid8lIXmZwE. Good luck!

@Rogueleader appreciate that man. Although i dont have the tri wing screw driver to open it, the drift does seem to go then i put pressure on the con 👍

@zapswitch because that's the definition of Nintendo. Great ***** a little too late but always later than expected 🤷🏾‍♂️

@NotoriousWhiz I was actually surprised that the sound quality from the Bluetooth was pretty good given that’s it’s SBC codec. The latency is there and noticeable but it was really only an issue for me in a couple of rhythm games.

@kuuhaku I also tried it the new Bluetooth with Project Diva. That game is always problematic if you don’t have good latency. It was playable but I just wound up using the Fiio BTR3K plugged in. I think the Fiio is really the answer. It allows Bluetooth when latency isn’t high priority but you can “switch” to plugging it in directly to the USBC port. (Sounds even better than the headphone jack.)

@Rogueleader Thanks, but is it really up to us , the consumers to fix Nintendo's hardware issues? I have never bought so many pair of controllers in my life for just one console.

@robr

Neat; they must have filed those folders way down in there because I can’t find them. 😆

I know it's not nice because of the additional cost, but the best way to fix joy con drift seems to be just forgetting the joy cons and buying a pro controller instead.