totallythere

Again, we're getting hung up on the specifics of the language I'm using to refer to the problem.

Target audience this, bafflement that. All that is left to be said is that Nintendo WII failed to incorporate HDMI so let lots of fans down. And now its implemented the HDMI, it does not even give us customisation settings which I've been using for 5 or 6 years on other formats. And now I'm expected to pick up the bill and buy the audio extractor to do something which quite easily could have been included in the design of the system.

Thanks for replies.

My use of the word random refers to the fact that it appears that the audio output in the headphone jack appears to be random chance as to whether you'll get the full sound or not. Essentially, the responses I've had, although helpful appear too hung up on the tiny variations in language to describe which is quite a simple problem. The problem being that if you are like me and want to split audio and visual then you cannot, OR if you would like to use headphones to enjoy the WII U system (say for example if the wife or husband is asleep), then your success rate of doing so is "random" based on the design of the game you will be playing. This success rate is random because it appears that sometimes you will get the full sound channeled from the console as well as the game pad specific sound, and other times you will only get the game pad's sound, meaning that by using headphones, your audio experience is going to be limited. Think of it as there being a primary sound source as opposed to the Game Pad's sounds.

Although this is a flaw in the design, it would be more forgivable if the problem of splitting the audio and visual channels were possible. For example, on the PS3, I can route my visual through hdmi, whilst using the usual RCA Analog audio connectors to channel audio through to my headphones. This option is not avaliable for the WII U, and is made less forgivable for the fact that even the SPECIFIED headphone jack, does not consistently give a good audio experience.

You mentioned my referral to audiences, and I'll explain why its valid. Because Nintendo are suffering at the moment through lack of sales, and one of the reasons they are suffering is because while other designers and tech giants implement the kind of options and customisation that appeal to the hardcore/hobbyist style of player (which would have been many of the original Nintendo fans from the 80's and 90's), they now focus and appease the mass market family audience who play Mario casually in their living rooms. Nintendo needs to bring the balance back the other way to appeal to both audiences; and it is problems like the one expressed above that leave many Nintendo fans feeling isolated and looking elsewhere for their gaming platforms. Another example would of course be the fact most of the releases avaliable on the Virtual console for the WII in the PAL regions are still for some unexplainable reason the 50hz editions, rather than the superior and standardised 60hz.

Any other user's experiences would be greatly appreciated, because maybe I have missed something; but as far as I can tell, this question about Audio and visual on the WII U continues to baffle most!

The answer, although possibly seeming simple, actually throws up all kinds of questions though. And its an answer, that again seem to be getting contradictions wherever one might look.

If the headphone jack really does truly operate how you say it does, as in, randomly playing audio from any audio source it desires to choose, then that really begs the question as to why on earth it is there in the first place?

What kind of gamer wants to only listen to half of the sounds avaliable?

I understand the expensive splitter method, as Nintendo have not implemented a way to split the AV channels from the system; but there truly seems to be no real consensus on whether or not playable sound is achievable from the headphone jack! Its madness. My quest for truth continues!

If anyone has anything else to flag up! Please do!

Yeah sorry, I meant backwards compatability on the virtual console. So by WII Mode, I guess you mean the playing of old Wii games, this shuts off the game pad, meaning no headphone audio?

To me, it sounds like (especially in comparison to the PS3 and Xbox) that Nintendo have really left behind the non-family centred living room audience. Is there really no way of knowing which games will work with headphones or not?

Thanks for your reply. I think I'm getting closer to the answer I need.

So your basically saying that the audio from the headphone jack on the game pad, sometimes just channels the audio that is originally intended to play throuh the game pad's speakers; whilst OTHER games will channel all the audio through the headphone jack.

So the questions that remain are, how on earth am I meant to be able to know whether the game I want to play will play all the audio I want, or just some of it?

I guess also the question remains, will the audio be channeled through the headphones ONLY if the monitor is switched off and I'm playing the game simply through the hand held game pad?

And what about old WII or Gamecube or virtual console games? Would anyone know what kind of audio I can expect from them?