Nintendo's Switch console will finally be receiving a controller that supports integrated in-game chat support, although it will be coming from a third-party supplier in PDP. Nintendo Switch in-game chat functionality is still being explored by the console itself, which only has a few games that don't require the mobile app to chat with friends, and no controllers have previously made a point of supporting in-game chat support.
Nintendo Switch in-game chat functionality is just one of the things that the company desperately needs to add to its bare-bones online support. Nintendo has notoriously been agonizingly slow to adopt offerings that its competitors have had for years, and its online service is perhaps the best example of that trend. While the Switch has an online subscription service, it really only offers a few incentives like free NES games. When compared to the Xbox Games With Gold and PlayStation Plus free monthly game offerings, it becomes hard not to argue that the Switch is lacking in online options and services by comparison.
Related: Two New Nintendo Switch Models Might Launch This Summer
If Nintendo Switch in-game chat is finally becoming a priority for third-party accessories, though, then perhaps things might change soon for the company's online services. PDP will be offering the Faceoff Deluxe+ Audio Wired Controller, which will have the honor of being the first Switch controller to offer integrated in-game chat support. The controller will feature a 3.5mm jack, audio controls, and interchangeable faceplates. On top of those features, there will be two programmable buttons that are separate from traditional Switch offerings, allowing players some additional customization options.
There's no indication of price currently, but pre-orders for the PDP Faceoff Deluxe+ Audio Wired Controller will begin in May, so information is likely to emerge before then. While many of the console's games don't have built-in support for Switch in-game chat functionality, that isn't to say there won't be more of them soon, especially with so many users complaining about the need to use the mobile app to chat to their friends.
If PDP's controller begins to make significant headway in the third-party peripheral market, it'll likely be a wakeup call for Nintendo to offer something similar from its official line of products. No Switch in-game chat support on its controllers has never been a deal breaker, but it's also the kind of tech that other companies offer without so much as a second thought, and it would be nice—especially since the Switch does so many innovative things well—for Nintendo's current-gen console to keep up with the times, whether its through Nintendo directly or via third-party support.
More: Google Chrome Will Support Nintendo Switch Controllers Soon
Source: Den of Geek