Super Smash Bros. Ultimate definitely needs an option to reject matches with users playing on Wi-Fi
The Tekken 7 Season 4 update recently launched with a nifty feature that allows online players to tell whether an opponent is using a wired connection or Wi-Fi. As such, most players using a wired connection will likely reject matches that feature the Wi-Fi indicator.
It's been reported that the Tekken 7 online experience is significantly better because of this as well as other improvements. Wouldn't it be nice if Super Smash Bros. Ultimate allowed users to see and reject Wi-Fi users?
Back in September, Masahiro Sakurai talked about adjustments made to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's online systems during his 611th Famitsu Column. While not directly referenced, this was very likely in response to the FixUltimateOnline hashtag that had previously been trending over Twitter.
It seems that Sakurai has been receiving numerous requests to add an icon that would indicate whether a player was playing on Wi-Fi or wired. However, his reason for not doing this occurs as being quite strange.
"I've received a lot of requests to show whether opponents are playing on Wi-Fi or not, but since you aren't able to refuse matches anyway that's not something we can do," said Sakurai.
Overall, it would make for a much better experience if a Wi-Fi icon of some sort was implemented. In addition, players most definitely should be able to refuse matches under these circumstances before starting a game.
No matter how good someone's internet is, a wired connection is always going to host a more stable online experience. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch docking station is without an Ethernet port, for some reason.
To enable a wired connection during online gameplay, gamers must shell out $30 for the LAN adapter. Of course, many casual players might be unwilling to do this.
Though Sakurai does defend Wi-Fi, he notes that a wired connection is recommended for optimal conditions. "It's not that Wi-Fi is a bad thing, but if you want a fair fight with equal conditions, make sure to play wired," stated Sakurai.
Previously, Katsuhiro Harada of Bandai Namco mentioned that a large percentage of Tekken 7, Soul Calibur 6 and Dragon Ball FighterZ's online playerbase are Wi-Fi users. Due to the aforementioned LAN adapter requirement, Sakurai notes that this percentage is even higher on the Nintendo Switch.
"The other day, Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada mentioned that 60% of players online use Wi-Fi when playing online from their home network," continued Sakurai in his Famitsu Column entry. "With the Nintendo Switch, 60% doesn't even begin to cover it. Even disregarding the high Wi-Fi usage, there's no guarantee that the rest of the world all have as good of a network environment as we do here in Japan."
However, if a system were implemented that allowed users to see and reject Wi-Fi players, then players would inevitably be encouraged to spend $30 on the LAN adapter. Encouraging this could be a good thing for the online community.
In any event, it's not like there's much of a danger of splitting the Smash Ultimate online community considering that sales have exceeded 21 million, the most for the entire series.
At the very least, an implementation for this feature in online lobbies would certainly be handy for tournament organizers as most tournaments now require a tedious process of having players take pictures of their LAN adapters with their names written on them.
