Are Logitech Microphones Compatible With Wii?
By Shea Laverty
With the combined popularity of Nintendo's Wii console and the number of karaoke games in the Wii's software library, it seems a natural fit for major peripheral developers to offer microphones for the system. Logitech, a high-volume producer of gaming equipment, is well-known for its microphone peripherals including hand-held mics and headsets. Logitech produces several Wii-compatible microphones, including one model specifically geared towards the Wii.
Logitech Vantage for Wii
The Logitech Vantage line of microphones were designed to as hand-held mics compatible with console gaming systems. Several models were produced, each featuring USB connectivity and aimed at specific platforms, including Wii. The Vantage for all consoles is a fairly basic hand-held mic, featuring no additional built in buttons, controls or other functions.
Other Logitech Microphones
While the Wii version of the Vantage was designed specifically with the Wii in mind, other USB entries in Logitech's lineup may be compatible with the console. However, not all Logitech USB microphones feature driver support for the Wii, making connecting any Logitech microphone basically a 50-50 chance of success -- either the microphone will be compatible or it will not. Before investing in a new Logitech Vantage for Wii, consider trying any of your other Logitech USB microphones with the Wii first.
USB Microphone Compatibility
Other manufacturers also offer Wii-compatible USB microphones. Many popular karaoke and music games including "Rock Band," "Guitar Hero" and "Karaoke Revolution" are often packed with branded official microphones, or offer these microphones as secondary purchases. Other peripheral producers like MadCatz and Komodo also produce Wii-compatible USB microphones.
Microphone Setup
Setting up a USB microphone, regardless of the manufacturer, is fairly straightforward. Simply power down the Wii and connect the USB connector to an available USB port on the Wii. When you next start up the Wii, the console will take a few moments to detect the microphone. As long the microphone is indeed compatible, it should be ready for use when you launch a game.