I've tried everything to get the Wii U to run a separate stream of audio. Nothing works. Why didn't Nintnedo make an option to run audio from a different source rather than just HDMI? The PS3 and 360 let you do it. Could they possibly patch in an option down the line?

According to...

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/11/18/wii-u-hardware-review.aspx

...you can pass audio through composite too. Also it sounds like the HDMI audio is a bit wonky.

@JasonR86: Wow. I wish that was true. But it's not. Unless I am missing something, I couldn't find a way to do it.

@Mikewrestler5:

Maybe there's an option in the settings within the console itself? Maybe just don't plug in the 'yellow' composite plug. My guess is that you need to pass the sound through a receiver and HDMI through the console to the TV. If you are just passing the sound from your console to the TV then there shouldn't be a problem.

@JasonR86: The only audio options I can is changing it from stereo, mono, or surround sound. And I have already tried to plugging up the composite cables. Nothing.

Yeah, I've been trying to figure out a better way for a while now (we've known about the lack of an optical audio port for a few months). My Astro A30 headphones use optical-in, ideally. Over HDMI I have to use my TV for sound, which is terrible.

Right now I'm plugging the headphones directly into the jack on the top of the controller and setting games to output all sound there. It's a shitty workaround.

@Rolyatkcinmai: I have been doing that as well for Nintnedo Land, but do all of the Wii U games mirror the same audio to the gamepad? I'd hate to miss out on something.

Huh... I'm planning to buy one and this is a serious problem. I plug my consoles into a PC monitor which DOES NOT HAVE audio output.

@Shaunage said:

Huh... I'm planning to buy one and this is a serious problem. I plug my consoles into a PC monitor which DOES NOT HAVE audio output.

If all else fails, you could try something that converts and splits HDMI into R/L audio and either VGA or component video, then plugging that into whatever connectors are needed to get those audio/video connections into your monitor and speakers. Those splitters run about $40, though, and I can't imagine that running the signals through 3+ adapters all daisy-chained together does much for the quality, but it is an option.

Monoprice has really good prices for cables and adapters and stuff, but even there I haven't found any particularly cheap or clean ways to get the audio information out of an HDMI cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10114#1011410

Hope that helps a little!

If nothing else, you can expect Nintendo to consistently make unreasonable and stupid design decisions. Would it hurt them to have an optical out, just like every other device there is? This was what they felt needed a technological leap?

I really wonder why GI blatantly lied about being able to do such a thing.

@Mikewrestler5 said:

I really wonder why GI blatantly lied about being able to do such a thing.

Well, they didn't exactly lie per se. Here's the line in the article;

" Through this the Wii U supports up to 1080p resolution and surround sound (six-channel PCM linear output). There is no optical port so users will have to run an HDMI cable from the Wii U to a compatible receiver and from there to the TV if they want full high definition and surround sound. Otherwise, you can run analog stereo sound out of the standard AV multi out."

So they didn't say that you could run composite audio with HDMI video. I sort of guessed at that based off of what I read.

@JasonR86 said:

@Mikewrestler5 said:

I really wonder why GI blatantly lied about being able to do such a thing.

Well, they didn't exactly lie per se. Here's the line in the article;

" Through this the Wii U supports up to 1080p resolution and surround sound (six-channel PCM linear output). There is no optical port so users will have to run an HDMI cable from the Wii U to a compatible receiver and from there to the TV if they want full high definition and surround sound. Otherwise, you can run analog stereo sound out of the standard AV multi out."

So they didn't say that you could run composite audio with HDMI video. I sort of guessed at that based off of what I read.

True. But you can't even do what they're saying. You can't split any audio whatsoever.

@Mikewrestler5 said:

@JasonR86 said:

@Mikewrestler5 said:

I really wonder why GI blatantly lied about being able to do such a thing.

Well, they didn't exactly lie per se. Here's the line in the article;

" Through this the Wii U supports up to 1080p resolution and surround sound (six-channel PCM linear output). There is no optical port so users will have to run an HDMI cable from the Wii U to a compatible receiver and from there to the TV if they want full high definition and surround sound. Otherwise, you can run analog stereo sound out of the standard AV multi out."

So they didn't say that you could run composite audio with HDMI video. I sort of guessed at that based off of what I read.

True. But you can't even do what they're saying. You can't split any audio whatsoever.

What they're saying is that you can hook up the system through HDMI or composite/component cables. Either/or.

Another example of Nintendo being out of touch and behind the times. :(

@Mikewrestler5 said:

@Rolyatkcinmai: I have been doing that as well for Nintnedo Land, but do all of the Wii U games mirror the same audio to the gamepad? I'd hate to miss out on something.

I can't speak to every game, but ZombiU also has the option to merge all audio to that port.

@BBAlpert said:

@Shaunage said:

Huh... I'm planning to buy one and this is a serious problem. I plug my consoles into a PC monitor which DOES NOT HAVE audio output.

If all else fails, you could try something that converts and splits HDMI into R/L audio and either VGA or component video, then plugging that into whatever connectors are needed to get those audio/video connections into your monitor and speakers. Those splitters run about $40, though, and I can't imagine that running the signals through 3+ adapters all daisy-chained together does much for the quality, but it is an option.

Monoprice has really good prices for cables and adapters and stuff, but even there I haven't found any particularly cheap or clean ways to get the audio information out of an HDMI cable.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10114#1011410

Hope that helps a little!

Lots of people have been saying they expect Nintendo to release a splitter kind of like Microsoft did shortly after the 360's launch. This would at least solve a few problems.

An alternate method is to use your TV's optical-out (if it has one), but then you're downgrading from 5.1 to stereo.