The revised cabling setup allows 3.5mm cables to plug directly into the headsets, making for easier replacements and swapping (previous versions had you connectto a short cable hung from the earcup, with a dual-pole connector).
This new system will be compatible with some previous Nintendo hardware, but better still, you'll be able toconnectto it from PC and smartphones starting some next year, with access to both Nintendo's eShop and Miiverse.