Vratislav Holub Nowadays, wireless accessories are completely common and are slowly starting to displace traditional wires. There is nothing to be surprised about. This is because it is a significantly more comfortable alternative, where users do not have to bother with the annoying untangling of cables and other problems. The same applies to the world of game controllers, or so-called controllers. But here we can come across something less interesting. While Microsoft's Xbox console uses Wi-Fi to connect the gamepad, Sony's Playstation or even the iPhone uses Bluetooth. But is there any difference at all?
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Nowadays, when we have more and more modern technologies at our disposal, the difference for the vast majority of users is practically minimal. Simply connect the controller and you don't have to worry about anything else - everything just works as it should, without the slightest problem or problematic latency. At the heart of the matter, however, we would already find indisputable differences, and there are certainly not a few of them. However, they have practically no influence on the world of game controllers.
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Difference between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection
The mentioned technologies are basically quite similar. Both ensure wireless communication via radio waves. While Wi-Fi is (primarily) used to provide high-speed Internet, Bluetooth focuses on connecting devices to share information over short distances. At the same time, Bluetooth can boast of lower energy consumption and occupies less bandwidth, but on the other hand, it suffers from a significantly shorter distance, worse security and can handle a smaller number of connected devices. However, these differences are not entirely significant for game controllers. After all, in such a case, the player sits directly in front of the TV at a sufficient distance and can thus play without any difficulties.
As we mentioned above, in the case of game controllers, the method used does not really matter. Today's modern technologies ensure error-free and fast transmission without increased latency in both cases. But why is Microsoft betting on a completely different approach? For the transfer between Xbox gamepads, the giant has developed its own solution called Wi-Fi Direct, which practically relies on a Wi-Fi connection. This wireless protocol is directly optimized for low latency in gaming and voice chat support, which gradually turned out to be a rather elegant and practical solution. But in order for them not to suffer and to be able to "communicate" with phones and computers, for example, Microsoft added Bluetooth from them in 2016.
