Nintendo Switch Bluetooth audio update is here to finally let you connect your headphones

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The four year wait is over, but microphones still won't work with the Nintendo Switch Bluetooth update

Nintendo Switch Bluetooth update
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Nintendo Switch Bluetooth audio update has arrived, letting us finally connect our headphones to the handheld console.

In a surprise announcement earlier this morning on September 15, Nintendo revealed the update with a tweet from their American Twitter account, saying that it includes "the ability to pair Bluetooth devices for audio output."

As you can see from the tweet above though, it's not all good news. While the Nintendo Switch Bluetooth update will allow you to connect up to 10 devices, Bluetooth microphones won't be supported in the new update, so don't expect to be talking trash over Nintendo Switch Online any time soon. A support page for the new Bluetooth update lists the potential issues you may encounter with the new update, which are: 

  • Only one Bluetooth audio device can be paired at a time, but up to 10 devices can be saved on a Nintendo Switch system.
  • Bluetooth microphones cannot be used.
  • You may experience audio latency depending on your Bluetooth device.

Still, it's a much-requested feature that many Switch players will be delighted to see, considering the console is now 4 years old and most of the Best Nintendo Switch Headsets have had to utilize USB dongles for them to offer a wireless audio experience. 

It's a good week for whether you already own a Switch or are yet to get one, as Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Switch price cut for the console in both Europe and the UK. If you're a new Switch owner, just thank your lucky (Mario) stars you don't now need to fiddle around with the audio jack.

Looking to upgrade your Nintendo Switch? Here's how you can secure a Nintendo Switch OLED pre-order.

Ben Tyrer
Ben Tyrer
Contributor

Ben Tyrer is a freelance games journalist with over ten years experience of writing about games. After graduating from Bournemouth University with a degree in multimedia journalism he's worked for Official PlayStation Magazine as a staff writer and games editor, as well as GamesRadar+ (hey, that's this website!) as a news editor. He's also contributed to Official Xbox Magazine, Edge, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, PC Games N, and more. His game of the year - no matter the year - is Rocket League.