I was on a quixotic quest to play Rhythm Heaven Groove using Bluetooth headphones, and in the process I kind of confirmed that the Pro Controller 2 uses the LC3 codec. Here’s what I learned.
1. System Bluetooth Audio: My tests show that it supports SBC and AAC (img below). These are laggy codecs with 100-250ms latency. I can only use it to play visual novels.
2. aptX LL/aptX Adaptive in LL config: With a USB dongle and headset that support these codecs, the latency is around 40-80ms (img below). I can win occasionally in Tetris 99 with this, but generally find it too laggy for Rhythm Heaven—may just be my skill issue though.
3. LC3 w/o GMAP: Since LC3 codec is an open standard, implementation varies. Some products offer separate configs for “quality” and “game”, but at the moment few actually support GMAP (Gaming Audio Profile), which was a later addition. With these “game” (but not GMAP) configs, one dongle-headset combo I tested has 42.5ms latency (img below) and thus no better than aptX LL; the other combo I tested is less laggy—it doesn’t have a UI to show latency, and my guess/feel is low-30s ms. This is good enough for me to play Rhythm Heaven Groove, but the margin of error for the player is smaller.
4. LC3 w/ GMAP: LC3 compatibility is already messy, the newer GMAP even more so. The only dongle-headset combo that I can confirm with compatible GMAP is FlooGoo FMA120 + Sony WH-1000XM6. The latency is only 22.5ms (img below). I got several Perfects in Rhythm Heaven Groove using this combo.
As to why I think the Pro Controller 2’s audio jack uses LC3: a) The MediaTek Bluetooth chips in Switch 2 and the controller are capable of LC3. b) There’s a “stable” vs. “low latency” setting (img below), similar to some LC3 products. c) Although I can play Rhythm Heaven Groove using its audio output, the margin of error is also smaller—it feels just like the non-GMAP LC3 set that I tested above.
Due to LC3’s patchy compatibility, I don’t know if Nintendo will ever add it to the System Bluetooth Audio. On the other hand, it should be possible to add GMAP support to the Pro Controller 2 via a firmware update.
[Originally posted on 2026-09-07 Pacific Time]
