Nintendo Switch has revolutionized the gaming industry with its compact appearance and device setting. As small screens don’t always suit gamers, it is obvious for them to look for a big screen to get a better experience. Nintendo Switch can either be docked for a home console or used as a portable device so that you can carry it out anywhere and play games. To experience the game on bigger screens, you can connect the Nintendo Switch to the PC laptop or computer and use its monitor to play the games. The process is simple and easy, like connecting Nintendo Switch to Smart TV.
How to Connect Nintendo Switch to PC
Before connecting the Nintendo Switch to your PC, some items are required for this process.
Required items to connect Nintendo Switch to your Computer
- The Nintendo Switch
- Laptop or Computer
- Nintendo Dock – There is no direct option to connect the Game Capture Card to your Switch. So you will definitely need your Nintendo Dock to make the connection.
- HDMI cables
- Game Capture Card– Game Capture Card has both the HDMI input and output ports with a USB port. If your laptop doesn’t have a Type C port, you must try for an older version of game cards. It will help you to transfer connectivity to Laptop OS or Windows OS. Make sure to use a sound-quality capture card. You can buy the best Game Capture card like Elgato HD60, Envato, or AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable Plus.
Steps to Connect Nintendo Switch to your PC
Initially, unplug the HDMI cables from your TV and also disconnect your Nintendo Switch from your TV. Then follow the steps to connect the Nintendo Switch to your Laptop or Desktop Computer.
#1. Turn On your Nintendo Switch as well as your Laptop or Desktop.
#2. Connect one end of the Nintendo Switch’s HDMI cable to the Nintendo Dock.
#3. Connect the Nintendo Dock to the Elgato HD60 HDMI Capture Card via HDMI cable.
#4. Now, launch the Game Capture Card Software on your PC. You can download the software from the official website of the capture card.
#5. Connect the Game Capture Card to your PC with the USB Cable.
#6. Wait for a while to find the Nintendo Switch’s home screen appearing on your PC.
#7. Tap on the Fullscreen icon at the top right corner of the screen.
Now, you can use your Joy-con and control the Switch on your Computer or Laptop while playing the games. Moreover, you can enjoy every Switch activity on your PC, like gameplay recording, big-screen experience, live streaming, live commenting, etc.
It is the only way to connect Nintendo Switch to your PC. As an alternative way, you can try using Emulators, which allows you to use Nintendo Switch games on your laptop. It is the cheapest way to play Nintendo games on PC. But the drawback of using an emulator is it could lag and may contain many bugs, which may ruin your gaming experience. You can always try the PC version of the Switch games. Almost 90% of the games are on your Microsoft Store or Steam. You can even use SD Card on Nintendo Switch if the device memory is running out.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can connect the Switch controller to the PC via a USB-C type cable. Or you can connect via Bluetooth.
You can connect Switch to a PC with an HDMI cable by using the game capture cards connected to your Nintendo dock.
Yes, there is an option to connect the two devices through the HDMI cables.
The answer is Yes, you can connect Switch to a PC without a game capture card. You can use the third-party emulator to connect the devices.
You can turn on the Bluetooth feature to connect the Nintendo Switch controller to your PC.
Plug the Switch dock into the Windows 10 monitor using the HDMI cable, switch the inputs and you can start playing the games.