Does The Nintendo Switch Have Bluetooth? (The Facts)

The Nintendo Switch lacking true Bluetooth functionality is a feature that you, me and countless others surely wished Nintendo included with the system. But, will Nintendo ever release a Switch with proper Bluetooth support?

I decided to find out.

There is no evidence that the Nintendo Switch will ever support Bluetooth, just look at the Nintendo Switch Lite not supporting Bluetooth in 2019 despite the Switch natively supporting Bluetooth with the joy-cons.

A Nintendo Switch pro which Nintendo said themselves will not be released in 2020 COULD have Bluetooth support but it’s just speculation in this point.

So, unfortunately, there is no evidence the Nintendo Switch will ever support Bluetooth, however, there IS a way you can use your Bluetooth headlines via using a Bluetooth adapter.

I will discuss how to set it up and why Nintendo chose not to include Bluetooth support. You ready? Let’s get to it!

How To Connect Bluetooth Headphones Nintendo Switch

Luckily for you, using a Bluetooth adapter allows you to use easily setup wireless Bluetooth headphone support for your Switch! The best low latency transmitter in the market is the HomeSpot Bluetooth 5.0 Audio Transmitter Adapter(Amazon link).

You can see a review of the product down below, and the headset provides your audio with super-low latency of about 40 milliseconds that the human brain cannot recognise with something called aptX.

Remember that aptX latency is only with headphones that support Qualcomm’s APTX Low Latency codec which include name brand receivers like Sony, Bose, Apple, JB. Do your own research to make sure.

How To Pair Bluetooth Headphones To Nintendo Switch Using A Adapter

Plug the HomeSpot Bluetooth adapter into the USB-C port of the Switch(if you want to use it when docked, plug the USB A to USB C dongle to the adapter and then click it into the USB A port of the dock
Hold the blue or red button on the HomeSpot bluetooth adapter for three seconds to enter pairing mode
Enter pairing mode on your headphones and correct to the HomeSpot bluetooth adapter and you’re done!

Why Does The Nintendo Switch Not Have Bluetooth Support?

Honestly I couldn’t find any concrete answers to this and the likely reason is it’s Nintendo just being Nintendo. In fact, The switch is capable of having eight Bluetooth controllers connected at the same time! Eight is likely the limit and any further devices would cause too much inference.

However, does that explain why you couldn’t connect one headset when you didn’t have 8 Bluetooth controllers connected the same time? No it does not.

Perhaps Nintendo could have argued when the Switch used the older bluetooth 4.2 the Switch didn’t have the necessary aptX compression standard needed to recieve high quality audio with low latency in controllers.

Check out the explanation of why Bluetooth 5.0 is differen compared to Bluetooth 4.2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n1x-wxESaM

However, since the Nintendo Switch 4.0 firmware update allows wireless headsets that use a USB dongle that allows you to use Bluetooth headsets. Nintendo has no excuse in why headsets cannot be used.

I believe this is a conscious decision by Nintendo as clearly they are not stupid. Just look at the Nintendo Switch Pro controller still not supporting a 3.5mm headphone jack? The Lite came out in 2019 and STILL does not have bluetooth headphones support.

Consider that most modern smartphones don’t have a headphone jack as wireless headphones are becoming more popular Nintendo still goes against the trend

. I don’t think anyone can tell you why as it’s isn’t a hardware issue as the Switch could potentially support 8 different headphones! But, rather an intentional decision by Nintendo.

Can I connect AirPods to Nintendo Switch Lite?

Your AirPods are Bluetooth compatible and are fully compatible with HomeSpot Bluetooth 5.0 Audio Transmitter Adapter(Amazon link) with ultra low latency.

The setup on either the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Lite is exactly the same. Either follow the setup guide above or watch the following video

How do you connect a speaker to a switch?

You can connect speakers to a Nintendo Switch. Firstly the Nintendo Switch outputs 5.1 PCM(Pulse-code Modulation) which is the same as the Wii U. It only outputs audio through HDMI so you need a receiver that can output HDMI whilst be able to receive 5.1 PCM over HDMI.

This J-Tech Digital 4K 60HZ HDMI Audio Extractor Converter SPDIF (Amazon Link) fits your requirements.

If you JUST want to use a single 5.1 speaker set, you need something to receive over HDMI and an HDMI splitter such as this HDMI Switch 4K HDMI Splitter-Techole (Amazon Link) to feed HDMI which will output HDMI to the TV and stero hacks for the speaker set.

It sounds complicated but watch this video by My Mate Vince and he will show you exactly what you need to do!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miXUwKK-71c

What wireless headsets work with Nintendo switch?

The following wireless headsets work with the Nintendo Switch using the HomeSpot Bluetooth 5.0 Audio Transmitter Adapter(Amazon link) mentioned above.

Turtle Beach Stealth 450
Turtle Beach Stealth 520
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (PS4 model only)
Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (PS4 model only)
Turtle Beach Elite 800
Logitech G533
Logitech G933
Plantronics Rig 800HS
Plantronics Rig 800LX
Sony PlayStation Gold Wireless (Stereo)
Sony PlayStation Gold Wireless (2018 reissue)
Sony PlayStation Platinum Wireless
SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless (set to PS4 mode)
SteelSeries Siberia 800
SteelSeries Siberia 840 (discontinued)

Headsets that work under certain specfic conditions

LucidSound LS40 (if you trick the dongle by plugging in a 3.5mm cable first)
SteelSeries Arctis 7 (only by plugging 3.5mm into USB dongle)
Astro A50 Gen 3 (only by plugging 3.5mm into the base station)
LucidSound LS30 (if you trick the dongle by plugging in a 3.5mm cable first)

If you don’t know what headsets to buy then check out the popular gaming YouTubers Kevin Kenson video on what wireless headphones to buy for yur Nintendo Switch

How do I turn on my Nintendo Bluetooth switch?

You cannot turn on Bluetooth for your Nintendo Switch or the Nintendo Switch light support bluetooth, despite having the ability to connect up to 8 different controllers via bluetooth to one single Nintendo Switch.

In order to use a Bluetooth device such as wireless Bluetooth headphones, you need to buy a Bluetooth audio transmitter adapter such as this one HomeSpot Bluetooth 5.0 Audio Transmitter Adapter(Amazon link). If your headset is supported (see above) you will be able to wirelessly use it for your Nintendo Switch!