scorecardThis $70 accessory is a must if you want to play your Nintendo Switch with wireless headphones
  1. Home
  2. slideshows
  3. miscellaneous
  4. This $70 accessory is a must if you want to play your Nintendo Switch with wireless headphones

This $70 accessory is a must if you want to play your Nintendo Switch with wireless headphones

First of all, Human Things sends your Genki in an adorable Nintendo Switch case, which is perfect.

This $70 accessory is a must if you want to play your Nintendo Switch with wireless headphones

All of the components fit neatly inside the case.

All of the components fit neatly inside the case.

The Genki case also looks great next to your other Nintendo Switch games.

The Genki case also looks great next to your other Nintendo Switch games.

Setting up the Genki couldn't be easier.

Setting up the Genki couldn

Just take the main adapter and plug it into the USB-C port in your Nintendo Switch. Hold the button on the side of the adapter to begin pairing; at this point, find the wireless headphones you want to use, turn on "pairing mode" for those headphones, and you should connect instantly.

I paired my AirPods with the Genki right away. The AirPods case has a button on the back of the case for manual pairing; push that, and it syncs with Genki like a charm.

I paired my AirPods with the Genki right away. The AirPods case has a button on the back of the case for manual pairing; push that, and it syncs with Genki like a charm.

The Genki supports up to two pairs of headphones, in case you want to sync your AirPods and a pair of over-ear headphones.

The Genki supports up to two pairs of headphones, in case you want to sync your AirPods and a pair of over-ear headphones.

What's really neat is that the Genki supports multi-broadcasting, so you can actually play with a friend, and both of you will receive audio simultaneously. That means you and a friend can both play "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" while you both wear wireless headphones.

What

You'll never have to worry about recharging Genki. It has no batteries, and gets power from the Nintendo Switch via the USB-C port.

You

From my time with the Genki, it seemed to draw very minimal power from the Switch. That was my primary concern with this device, since the Switch doesn't have great battery life to begin with, but I'm happy to report the Genki didn't make it noticeably worse.

The only slight downside, which I noticed almost immediately, was that there was some audio lag — but I would call it minimal. It did not detract from my experience, and the audio cues were never so bad that it affected my performance in a game.

The only slight downside, which I noticed almost immediately, was that there was some audio lag — but I would call it minimal. It did not detract from my experience, and the audio cues were never so bad that it affected my performance in a game.

You might be tempted to buy the $50 version of Genki, which only includes the adapter, but I would highly recommend buying the $70 combo that includes the dock adapter.

You might be tempted to buy the $50 version of Genki, which only includes the adapter, but I would highly recommend buying the $70 combo that includes the dock adapter.

Buying the Genki combo also nets you a Switch stand and microphone, which are nice touches — especially since the stand is small and collapsible — but the combo is definitely worth it for the dock adapter, which lets you use wireless headphones while playing Switch on your television. Now you can enjoy your Switch games late into the night without worrying about disturbing others.

Overall, Genki is the total package.

Overall, Genki is the total package.

I love being able to play "Dark Souls Remastered" with my AirPods on, and I love that it supports multiplayer audio, since the Switch was really designed to be played with others.

I also love how thoughtful the hardware is; there are no additional cords, and all of the components are small, lightweight, and serve a purpose. The fact they can all be easily packaged and transported in a Nintendo Switch game case is brilliant.

If you're looking for a way to use Bluetooth headphones with your Switch, you might find other solutions out there, but none feel as polished as the Genki combo. It's well worth the $70.

Advertisement