Full Review

11 July 2007 - Most add-on accessories boost the performance of the gadget that it is being added on to. Enhance it in some way. So why then would Nintendo release a device that hinders the Nintendo DS? Makes it perform worse without it? We aren't sure either.

The Nintendo DS headset's premise is to offer gamers the chance to talk to friends when connected to a wireless network or the console via a wired headset that plugs into the handheld console headphones jack.

Where do we begin?

The first problem is that it's wired. In a world going wireless when possible, the idea of a wired headset seems a bit daft. It's not that the cable isn't long enough, its just something to get tangled in.

The second is that rather than allowing the games music to still be played via the stereo speakers on the console, music is pumped into the one speaker that sits in just one of your ears (uncomfortably we might add). The result is a reduced performance in sound when using the headset.

If we wanted music in our ears we would use a set of headphones, surely? What would have been ideal is that voice was pushed to your ears so you can clearly hear when someone speaks and the music pushed out of the speakers on the console.

The third problem is that the mic, used in games like Pokemon or Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? on the console is actually pretty good, so you don't really need to boost its performance with a mic positioned on your face.

VERDICT
The Nintendo DS headset is quiet honestly one of the most pointless add-on's we've seen at Pocket-lint and a complete waste of money. Our advice? Save your money and use it to buy another game instead