Voicemod announces a beta version of a Key dongle to enable voice distortion for controllers. In addition to the dongle, users will need a smartphone or tablet and headphones with a microphone and a 3.5mm jack output.

The device, which is initially being tested among five hundred users, can be connected to a smartphone or tablet via a USB-C port. Both the headphones and the controller or controller must then be connected to the dongle via a 3.5mm connection. The audio distortion occurs in the Voicemod app for Android and iOS, which runs on the connected smartphone or tablet.

This detour is necessary because local Audio distortion is not possible on affected consoles due to hardware access restrictions for third-party apps. In comparison, the desktop version of Voicemod allows users to emulate a virtual microphone, which can then be used as an input in Discord or Twitch, for example. This way, there is no need for an external device or app on another device.

It’s not clear yet when Voicemod will release the dongle in full. Testing is underway in the US, UK, and Europe.