The Switch is a popular hand-held gaming device in the form of a tablet created by a Japanese company called Nintendo. They have been in the market since 1989. Since it is portable, it can be used as a home console or a portable game station. Thus, this makes it a hybrid game station that supports gaming through an Internet connection and wireless ad hoc connectivity. This article shall discuss different methods to connect the Nintendo Switch to various devices such as a laptop and PC.
What is Nintendo Switch?
Launched in 2017 by Nintendo, the Switch is a popular and portable gaming console. Since this device is a hybrid console, it can be connected to laptops and PCs with ease. It comes with wireless controllers called Joy-con, standard buttons, and analog sticks. This assists in motion sensing and user feedback to deliver smooth hand-held gameplay.
Things you need to connect a switch to a Laptop?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to connect the Nintendo Switch to the laptop directly. The only way to forge a connection is by using the Nintendo Dock. Both the Nintendo Dock and the Laptop have HDMI output ports. It means they can feed their data to other screens that accept HDMI inputs. They cannot receive any direct input.
Hence, to connect the Nintendo Switch to the laptop, we require components to accept HDMI input and convert it into a USB output. Following are the things we need:
- Nintendo Switch
- Laptop
- Nintendo Dock
- Game capture card
- HDMI Cables
- Software
How do I connect my Nintendo Switch to my laptop using HDMI or Bluetooth?
There is no way to connect the Nintendo Switch directly to the laptop using Bluetooth. To connect it via HDMI, follow these steps:
- Connect the Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Dock by plugging the Dock’s cable into the Nintendo Switch’s Type-C connector.
- Connect the Nintendo Dock to the game capture card with an HDMI cable by plugging it into the “HDMI in” port.
- Download the Capture software from the manufacturer’s website and launch it on the laptop.
- Turn the Nintendo Switch on.
- Connect the Capture Card to the laptop with a USB cable. The Nintendo Switch’s home screen loads up on the laptop screen in a few moments.
- You can control the Nintendo Switch on the laptop in a full-screen environment to enjoy an immersive experience using the joy-con controller. You can also stream live and record your gameplay.
How do I connect my Nintendo Switch to my laptop not using HDMI?
Unfortunately, there is no way to connect the Nintendo Switch to the laptop without using HDMI. However, if you do not have a Capture card, you can still play the PC versions of your favorite games on the laptop. Nintendo Switch controllers are also PC compatible, making it convenient.
Except for Super Mario, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, most titles are available in the Microsoft Store and Steam on your laptop. Cross saving is allowed. So, if you begin a game on the laptop, you can continue it on the Nintendo Switch later.
How do I connect my Nintendo Switch to Windows 10?
The Nintendo’s Joy-con controller works just like the PlayStation 4 controller, which means that they support Bluetooth.
Open the Bluetooth interface on your PC and ensure that Bluetooth is enabled. Go to Settings- Devices- Bluetooth- Add device.
Do a long press on the Sync button on the controller, which you can find on the top left side. It activates pairing mode, and the Joy-Con controller will appear in the list of visible Bluetooth devices on Windows 10. Click on it to connect your Nintendo Switch to Windows 10.
How to Stream Nintendo Switch to PC?
To stream content from the Nintendo Switch to the PC, ensure you have the following components: OBS Studio, Game Capture Card, Webcam, microphone. Follow these steps:
- Ensure the Nintendo Switch is in the dock and connected to the PC via the Game Capture card.
- Download OBS Studio and install it.
- Log in to Twitch and link it to your OBS Studio account.
- Once that is done, get back to OBS Studio and go to File- Settings- Stream- Twitch. Whenever you stream, OBS Studio will broadcast your Twitch account.
Conclusion
This article simplifies the methods you can use to connect your Nintendo Switch to your laptop or PC via Bluetooth or HDMI. It is effortless to do so. One needs to have the proper hardware and follow the requirements. Using these techniques, you can have a full-screen immersive experience of the game you play and even stream it to a broader audience via Twitch.