Voice Chat For The Wii U Is A Bit Wonky
Online multiplayer for consoles is here to stay. This is a fact that I think nobody can deny, but there’s always been a bit of a problem with consoles and their presence on the internet: communication. While PC’s have the keyboard if all else fails, the only good way to talk with your teammates or opponents is by talking with them. Why, the Xbox 360 even comes with a headset for this very purpose!
So what about the Wii U, Nintendo’s next console? It’s true that its GamePad has a mic in it, but apparently it does not work for voice chatting with other people. Instead, if you want to use it you’ll have to purchase a licensed stereo headset from Turtle Beach or Mad Catz and plug it into the controller. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but what about the Pro Controller? Apparently it doesn’t even have a port to plug the headsets into it, so instead you’ll either have to A. learn how to play Call of Duty on the GamePad, or B. plug the headset into the GamePad, and set it in your lap while you use the Pro Controller.
What gives Nintendo? They’ve been behind the ball with their consoles for awhile now! With the Nintendo DS it only supported the weak WEP encryption, meaning if you wanted to play online you had to give your wireless access point the same security as a screen door in the dust bowl, and with the Wii it could only output video in 480p at a time when high definition TV’s were really becoming mainstream. If Nintendo had been serious about getting back the hardcore players who left in droves to the Xbox 360 and PS3 they could at least have some sort of easy to use option for voice chat! Alas, it appears that Nintendo is not very serious after all…
