PSA: Rocket League's New Cross-Platform Voice Chat Is Enabled By Default

I was pretty into this title until I realized my purchases wouldn't transfer between systems

having voice chat on by default in a free-to-play game is a BAD idea.
the option should always be there, but it should be an option.

I never even touch ranked, but I'm sure I'd still run into a ton of people who take the game too seriously, so I'll probably shut it off immediately.

Despite the competitive nature of the game, it's always been a chill game to me (I play while listening to podcasts etc) and I don't want that ruined by some jerk.

Just turn it off if you don't like it, sheesh.

Majority of games have this mode on by default. The amount of games I have to make sure to turn voice chat off is insane on PS4/5 and Xbox.

@XenoShaun Adding to the frustration for the PS5 is the fact that the controller has a built-in mic that's always on by default too, so you'll get all sorts of people unwittingly broadcasting their whole home to everyone in multiplayer games. I don't like voice chat with randoms in online games personally, it's always just people hurling insults/slurs or being obnoxious.

By default? Oh yay.

@Patendo

My body is ready. My 1st amendment right...less so.

@Screen you dont get notified either, which is crazy.

At least there's an option to turn it off. I spent a loooot of time playing MK11 having to just mute my TV due to not wanting to listen to people.

I mean the only people who would complain about this are the same ones that complain that their "free trial" also requires the whole 2 minutes to turn off auto renewal...it's just not that hard to do.

Default on is best. You have nothing to fear from these people.

1) If you are putting the headset on, you are opening yourself to communication. That's how headsets are designed to work. It would be like opening your front door and being surprised by people being outside.

2) If you do hear someone, and you don't want to, mute it and move on. Just shut the door.

On a personal belief. Part of the toxicity in game chat is that the only people who chat are toxic. And anyone new to chat comes on and hears people being toxic, and either become toxic themselves or leave chat. And that's a shame because then people miss out on opportunity to socialise, build team work skills, and share advice like any strong community does.

The non-toxic voices need to start drowning out the toxic ones and that doesn't happen with default off.

Has anyone gotten this to work on the Switch? And what did you do to get it to work?

Needs to be an easy way to turn it off when you come up against a toxic chat. I’ve found some lovely people in the game the toxic people I’m just thinking they really don’t seem to have fun.

On a separate note I would love to see more stats in the game. Think football manager style player stats. I’ve lost all interest in the cosmetics but would love proper stats out of 20 like:
Shooting 19
Goalkeeping 16
Passing 12
Dribbling 11
Destroyer 7
Blocker 15
Arials 17
Wall Riding 12
Speed 17
Rotations 20
Communication 1

Be good to see what type of player you’re up against.

This game should immediately have it's rating changed to over 18 / Adults only.

@Richnj I like what you said: the non toxic voices need to start drowning out the toxic ones.

This isn’t good. Especially for children.

I had a drunk guy shouting abuse at me from the first kick of the game (we were partied after a good match) and he carried on f-ing and blinding for about 10 minutes after the match. I never had a mic to respond and I am online abuse hardened from years of FPS games, but if I was a kid it could have been quite scary/shocking.

Instead I just giggled to myself at his absurdities before I muted the TV, went to make a cup of tea, went to the toilet and put some washing in, came back to him still ranting about 10 minutes later. I nearly choked on my tea laughing so hard. A grown man wasting his time simply because we lost a game, and he had no idea who I was.

Anyways. Left party and blocked him and turned off voice chat. But it should be off by default.

Thanks for pointing this out so I can turn it off next time I play the game. I have no idea why people would want to talk to strangers while playing a game like this.

Now show Capcom how to implement it on Monster Hunter Rise+ Sunbreak

oh no this is a very bad idea oof

Yeah, so scary.
wow.

I hate Voice Chat in video games period. I play games to relax not to have obscenity screamed at me from children. In Rocket League it's the worst because people always try to teach you there bad habits.

Awful idea. Rocket League has a toxic community full of players constantly telling people to "KYS".

Not sure why this deemed as scary. This is a feature that most, if not all, online multiplayer/competitve games have. I know it can be volatile, but it can be turned off or modified.

Who exactly is worried about toxicity, and why should I care?

I haven't played Rocket League, a lot of games have voice chat on by default. I usually just go to options and turn it off as I prefer voice chatting with friends over Discord when playing games. People I can trust to not ruin the experience and have a conversation with.

@dew12333 No need to raise the age rating to Adults Only, just go to the options and turn it off. If parents are concerned, then they should turn voice chat off. The option is there for a reason.

We live in a society where people having the option to freely talk is "scary".
I'd laugh but it's honestly just embarrassing.
You know you can just simply switch it off, right?

@Sunsy your opinion, not mine. Parents are told this when they buy the game are they?

@dew12333 Right on the box, ESRB has a "Users Interact" descriptor, which covers user-made content and voice chat. Looking at an online game case I have, it's on back by the rating.

In the past, it use to be "Game Experience May Change During Online Play" or "Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB." Usually these were on the box right by the rating, on the front too.

I know Rocket League is free-to-play now, I do remember the game was available as a retail game previously.

I love Rocket League and I will never ever use voice chat. I can't even imagine how horrible it is.

This will be awful for folks that keep it enabled. I refuse to do voice chat unless I know the people directly. Otherwise turns into 13 year olds yelling racial epithets, stereotypical slurs and potty mouth galore. Yuck. No thanks.

How does this work on switch? Do I have to use the app?

@Sunsy Thank you for pointing that out, because I am now more informed. But I still think that stinks, if you cannot guarantee the content that consumers are subjected too then it shouldn't be possible to certificate anything other than over 18.
In this case the game is classified as 3 plus, that seems pretty dangerous to me.

@Bon_Kurei like Fortnite you plug a headset into Switch and talk

I used to enjoy this one on PS4, I stopped playing once it went free to play and an account was required to play. I don't play many online games, but never really like voice chat, the anonymity seems to bring out the worst in some people. I used to like the stock phrases in this one.

@dew12333 You're welcome, not sure if other countries have a similar message on game boxes. Still will agree to disagree since developers have no way to know if people will misbehave with voice chat, and the option is there to disable it completely.

It can vary from game to game, I notice more popular games tend to have rude players, while less popular ones I've played don't have, or rudeness is minimal. Going by personal experience since I play online on PC too, so I see text chat too.

I'm surprised the age rating is that low. Here in the US, I believe the minimum for an online account for anywhere, online games included, 13 and up. 3 is really a young age. I wonder if parental controls limit voice chat. I'm the only one who uses my Switch, so I never had the need to use them.

Best game ever!

Oh no! I have to take 10 seconds of my life and go into the options to press a button so I can make the scary bad people not say things through my TV!