Nintendo Switch Firmware Update Secretly Added Support For Bluetooth Wireless Headphones

Nintendo released the 4.0.0 firmware update for the Switch console this week and introduced some new features. However, it looks like the company also included one new feature that it didn’t share with its Nintendo Switch gamers: the update added support for Bluetooth headphones.

The added support for Bluetooth headphones for the Nintendo Switch was first discovered by a user on Reddit. The user was able to connect his Sony PlayStation Wireless Headset to the Nintendo Switch. Although this might sound like fantastic news to a lot of Switch gamers, it’s not as straightforward as using any kind of wireless Bluetooth headphones.

For the Nintendo Switch, wireless Bluetooth headphones will work when users are gaming in TV mode. Their pair of wireless headphones must also be models that come with a USB receiver, which acts as the bridge between the console and the headphones. Users must plug the USB connector into one of the ports on the Nintendo Switch dock. Once that’s done, all of the audio will now output to the user’s wireless headphones.

For those who want to use their wireless headphones in handheld mode, they will need a USB Type-C adapter. Nintendo Life made a short video demonstrating how this can work.

It’s also important to point out that not all wireless headphones will work. Only the models that have USB receivers will function correctly.

The Nintendo Switch doesn’t use its own built-in Bluetooth for this to work. It’s likely that the console will need its built-in Bluetooth to stay connected to the Joy-Con controllers. This is also how the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One handle support for wireless headphones.

The added support for Bluetooth headphones for the Nintendo Switch is a huge surprise to a lot of gamers since Nintendo didn’t even announce or mention it as being part of the 4.0.0 firmware update. Instead, the gaming firm only officially announced the new video capture and data transfer features in the update.

It remains unclear why Nintendo didn’t announce wireless headphones support for the Switch console. It’s being speculated that Nintendo might come out with its own pair of wireless headphones. Perhaps the gaming firm added wireless headphones support in anticipation for this. The Nintendo Switch already has a wide range of accessories available today and a pair of first-party wireless headphones doesn’t seem to be too farfetched as a new addition.

The Nintendo Switch 4.0.0 firmware update is available now and it added video capture support as well as letting users transfer their saved data to a new console. Video capture on the Switch only works for “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” “ARMS” and “Splatoon 2,” according to The Verge.

The video capture feature on the Nintendo Switch automatically records 30 seconds of gameplay and stores the video file in the console’s album. Users will be able to trim clips before sharing on Facebook or Twitter. As for data transfers, users should be made aware that once they’ve transferred their save data from one Switch console to another, the transferred data will no longer be available on the source console.