TLDR is at the bottom.
It is now 3 months to the day that Bluetooth headphone functionality was added by [Nintendo via a system update](https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1437930124490457088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1437930124490457088%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Ftech%2Fgaming%2Fnintendo-finally-brings-bluetooth-audio-to-the-switch-with-new-software-update%2F). As an everyday user of public transportation in NYC, I commute for about an hour to work and an hour from work on subway trains that go from general ridership to it being packed from asshole to elbow. I’m never without my set of electronics to make my ride that much more bearable: my Google Pixel phone, my Nintendo Switch (v1), and a set of Bluetooth headphones (Galaxy Buds v1).
Pairing my headphones to the switch the first time was a breeze and it’s as simple as pairing any other Bluetooth device. The switch will even remember the connection if I put the system in sleep mode and reconnect to my headphones. The problems come once you disconnect the headphones and connect them to something else. For example, I’ll have my podcast or music going on my walk to the train station. Once I get on a train, sit down and get situated, I have to disconnect from my phone and go into pairing mode on my headphones to reconnect to the switch. The only way I feel this can be resolved is to have a set of Bluetooth headphones dedicated to just the switch. There are no means to seamlessly switch connections but this is most likely due to the Galaxy Buds as they do not support simultaneous connections. Unfortunately I don’t have any other headphones to experiment with at this time.
Sound control, I experimented with using the headphones’ dedicated touch controls to do volume up/down but that only adjusted the volume of the headphone and not the system volume. I found that it’s best to use the manual buttons or in system controls to manage the volume levels.
Connection stability is the major issue I’ve found. In my home, or sitting down in my office while eating lunch, I can have a full session connected via Bluetooth and not worry one bit. On the train, that’s another story entirely. I don’t know if it’s the amount of people on the train also using Bluetooth headphones, electrical interference from it just being in a big city and I’m on the subway underground, or just plain government conspiracy theory that they’re controlling the airwaves but there’s a very good chance that they will just cut out and I have no sound at all. The system will still show it as connected but nothing will be playing. The only way I’ve found to remedy this is to force my headphones back into pairing mode and reconnect. This can happen several times during my trip and there are times I’d just go without the sound out of pure frustration and not wanting to look like an idiot. Pairing mode for these earbuds involve me holding one finger on each side for about 5 seconds, this can make me look like I’m annoyed by loud sounds and plugging my ears every time I have to re-pair them.
As for the battery, I saw little to minimal additional usage while in airplane mode and Bluetooth turned on. I thought this would eat away at my battery even more so, but I was surprised to see it had minimal impact, especially on my v1 Switch. On the other hand though, leaving airplane mode off, having wifi on and using the bluetooth connection, I saw intense battery drain and my switch would go from 100% to ~15% by the time I got off the train.
In conclusion, the fact that they made this an option without having to go use a third-party attachment was an excellent addition to the switch’s functionality yet the functionality is basic at best and very flawed due to what I can only assume is the internals of the switch and how this option was an afterthought. When it comes to the target audience that would be looking to play in handheld mode outside of the home, possible city slickers like me, it almost isn’t worth the time to try and make it work while commuting.
**TLDR: This is one person’s perspective as a commuter using first generation hardware. Pairing is easy, controls are limited from the headphones, connection stability is horrible in public settings, and battery usage is minimal under the right system settings. Works well if you’re home but for commuting on public transportation or in large city settings, it’s problematic and more frustrating than it is helpful.**
I would love to hear other people’s experiences using the system bluetooth connection to connect to headphones outside of a home environment. I also plan on upgrading to the OLED next month so would love to report back after on if that hardware improves the experience.