Game players are giving thanks for Bluetooth after an old manual for setting up a wired console headset shows how valuable wireless is.
A photograph of a manual directing buyers how to set up an Xbox 360 wired headset gained track on social media and has left many thankful for the existence of Bluetooth. There’s no question that technology has changed dramatically over the past several decades when it comes to video game consoles. One area that’s not as appreciated as much as it probably should be is regarding wiring and wireless technologies. All it takes is one manual for the Xbox 360 to help remind everyone how far we’ve come.
The Xbox 360 was officially released in 2005. At the time, the HDMI cable standard was only in its infancy. The vast majority of homes were still using either standard AV cables or component cables for high definition. And that was just for audio-visual connections. The Xbox 360 was also a major step forward in online multiplayer, leading to a major push in console headset technology. That included the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset‘s release in 2005, as well. But most Xbox 360 players were still using wired technology.
A thread on Reddit shared a photo of a manual that captures the nightmare of cabling for wired headsets in the 2000s. The headset, a Turtle Beach x12, has a rat’s nest of cabling connecting it to the Xbox 360 Elite console. First, there’s a USB connection to supply power to the headset, then an AV cable with an adapter splitting it into red/white connections, and a secondary Xbox 360 Audio Adapter to connect that to the Xbox 360. If that wasn’t enough, the headset also has to be connected to an Xbox 360 controller.
Hilariously, the graphic also shows an HDMI connection running from the Xbox 360 Elite to a television. If a family was still using AV cables or component cables, expect the cabling mess to grow even more cumbersome. It still wouldn’t be as absurd as the headset cabling, though.
The responses in the Reddit thread are altogether pretty lighthearted. It’s easy to look back on the problems that past console generations had with a sense of humor. One person jokes that, “We have made it too easy for other players to talk to me.” Others shared their experiences with the Turtle Beach x12 and its quality, with some mention of people using the headset even now. There were even some who noted the PS3 supported Bluetooth, though they didn’t mention the PS3 cost nearly twice what an Xbox 360 did at the time.
Cabling problems weren’t exclusive to the Xbox 360, of course. Kids in the 1980s likely went through the experience of their grandma’s TV not having a cable connection at all, or in the 90s when adapters for cable connections and accessories became all but required. It was a long road to today’s HDMI and USB standards, and Bluetooth and wireless connections supported across the board. Who’s to say what console connections will look like in another 20 years.
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