How To Connect Nintendo Switch To Laptop in 2022?
You cannot directly connect Nintendo Switch to your laptop. The only way to connect your Nintendo Switch to another device is through the Nintendo Dock. The dock has an HDMI output port and connects the switch to a TV or monitor using an HDMI cable.
Unfortunately, the laptop also has an HDMI output port. This means that both the dock and laptop can feed data/screen to other devices that accept HDMI input, but cannot receive input via HDMI.
So for the connection you need something that can accept an HDMI input and convert it to a USB output. Fortunately, with the help of our dear friend “Game Capture Card”, you can connect your Nintendo Switch to a laptop or PC.
Things that you need:
Nintendo Switch (
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laptop
nintendo dock
It comes with the console and is the only way to connect and view the switch from another device such as a monitor or TV. But if you break your dock or want to have multiple docks, buy them here.
game capture card
Game capture cards were initially created to stream console gameplay through PC. Basically, it acts as a connector with an HDMI input port, HDMI output port, and USB port all in one, serving as a means of transmitting the connection to the laptop’s OS. For a smooth, lag-free experience, you should use a sound quality capture card.
Corsair’s Elgato almost dominates this market. The latest Elgato HD60 S is the best-selling capture card. It provides 1080P output at 60fps. It also offers a smooth, virtually lag-free experience with a USB 3.0 type-C connection.
However, if your laptop doesn’t have a Type-C port, you’ll have to choose an older version. It’s probably the Elgato HD60, which uses pretty much similar technology except for the super-fast type-C output.
HDMI cable
One HDMI cable is required for this operation. Luckily one is inside the capture card box and the other comes with the switch. Both of these work fine. But if you don’t have an HDMI cable, stock up.
software
You’ll also need software that uses a capture card to work with your laptop while docked and to control the switch. You can download the software for free from the manufacturer’s website.
Procedure to connect Nintendo Switch to laptop
Connect your Nintendo Switch to the Nintendo Dock. Very simple. Just plug the dock’s cable into the Switch’s Type-C connector.
If the Dock is connected to a TV or monitor, disconnect the HDMI cable.
You need to connect the Nintendo Dock to the Capture Card via an HDMI cable and connect it to the card’s “HDMI In” port.
Open the capture software on your laptop.
Turn on your Nintendo Switch while docked.
Connect the game capture card to your laptop with a USB cable. And within seconds, your Nintendo Switch’s home screen will appear right on your laptop.
Use the Joy-Con to control the switch on your laptop. Go full screen to enjoy an immersive big screen experience or live stream. You can also record your gameplay, enjoy the re-record function, or even enjoy chatting and live commentary.
You can also get the most out of your PC while gaming on the Switch. It’s like one feature that provides the best multitasking.
How to connect a switch to a laptop without a capture card?
We talked about how important a game capture card is if you’re looking for a workaround to connect your Nintendo Switch to your laptop. So, at this point, you should already know that using a game capture card is the only way to connect the Switch’s video output to your laptop. Without a game capture card, there is no other way.
The only way to connect your Switch to your laptop is to charge or transfer files. Simply connect the two devices using a USB-A or USB-C cable. However, you will need to download a third-party app to transfer files from your Switch to your laptop or to access your Switch’s internal storage.
How to connect a Nintendo Switch controller to a laptop
If you are having trouble connecting your Nintendo Switch controller to your laptop, or if the controller is not working for some reason, you must follow my instructions correctly to help you solve this problem.
Here’s how.
1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
2. Click Devices.
3. Turn on the laptop’s Bluetooth.
4. Click Add Bluetooth or other device.
5. Click Bluetooth.
6. Turn on Bluetooth on your Nintendo Switch controller.
7. Select your device from among the discovered devices.
8. Click OK.
9. Download BetterJoy from Github.
10. Unzip the file using 7zip.
11. Navigate to the folder and find ViGEmBUS_Setup.
12. Run as administrator and install the driver.
13. Locate BetterJoyForCemu in the main folder.
14. If you find it, run it as administrator.
15. Your laptop will detect your Nintendo Switch controller within a few seconds.
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How to connect Nintendo Switch to laptop via capture card settings?
Before proceeding, you will need to install game capture software to capture and stream the Switch encoded data in real time after it has been entered into the capture card.
Go to the Elgato main website and download the free version of the application. You can record HD video without paying extra for premium.
Since we’re going to treat our laptop screen like a monitor all the time, let’s proceed by attaching a switch to the dock to avoid unnecessary scratching.
Unplug the switch’s HDMI cable from the TV.
Find the HDMI input port on the capture card and connect it to the HDMI cable on the switch above.
Open the Game Capture HD software downloaded to your laptop.
When you turn on the Switch console by pressing and holding the Joy-Con’s home button, it works because of the Switch’s hybrid capabilities.
Connect the capture card to the laptop via a tagged USB cable. The old software application recognizes the Nintendo Switch on the laptop and displays it in the app’s main interface.
Tap the full screen icon in the upper right corner of the interface and the Switch video will automatically fill the entire laptop screen.
Enjoy your HD gaming moments just like you did on your TV. However, you have to accept the fact that there are some artifacts and footage lag due to the encoded (non-original) video feed. AVerMedia LGX USB3.0 is an ideal port with virtually no latency.
However, if you can’t handle this 3-5 second delay, or simply don’t want to turn your head on over $100 HDMI capture cards, the only solution is to play a PC. Reasons to say goodbye to Pokémon, Super Mario and Animal Crossing.
Connect your Nintendo Switch to your laptop via the Nintendo Switch’s Dock
The switch dock has a total of 4 ports, 1 AC adapter port (for power adapter), 3 USB ports (for charging) and 1 HDMI output port.
The common ports on regular laptops also revolve around VGA/DVI (for projector display), HDMI output, USB3.0, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3.0 (basically the more sophisticated USB-C).
Each port is for outputting data and video to other input devices. In other words, you need an adapter to connect an external output device such as a Nintendo Switch to another output device such as a laptop to play games.
Your best bet is to buy a separate new HDMI monitor for around USD60 or go to a friend’s TV to save time and money.
Connect Nintendo Switch to laptop via laptop port
The biggest question is how to convert a laptop’s HDMI output port to an HDMI input. We regret to inform you that there is no visible solution.
3 cables
The graphics card built into the laptop can only output video and audio to other external devices, and not vice versa. The HDMI port on the laptop can be bidirectional, but it is for audio only.
Obviously, if you want to know how your laptop handles incoming data, you’ll have to write a new software program and assemble new hardware that adapts the output data source to USB, FireWire, or potentially Thunderbolt. Needless to say, the software should also support visual display and audio synchronization.
How do I connect my headset to my Nintendo Switch Lite?
How to Connect Bluetooth Headphones to Nintendo Switch
Select the gear icon on the home screen to open the switch’s system settings menu.
Scroll down to the Bluetooth Audio tab and select Pair Device.
Put your Bluetooth headphones into pairing mode and place them close to the switch.
How to connect Nintendo Switch to laptop without dock?
What if I don’t have a dock? After all, you’ll want to take advantage of the portability of your Nintendo Switch by not carrying around a rather large dock. So, can I connect it to my laptop without the dock that came with it when I bought the Nintendo Switch?
The good news is, yes, a Nintendo Switch dock is not an essential requirement for connecting a Switch to a laptop. Instead, you can use a USB-C to HDMI adapter that also doubles as a dock. So what the adapter basically does is that it now becomes a dock that plugs the switch’s USB-C port into an HDMI port, allowing the switch to output to a monitor or TV. However, you can charge your Nintendo Switch while docked by making sure you’re using the adapter that came with a different USB-C port.
So, with an adapter, connecting a Nintendo Switch to a laptop is almost the same as connecting it to a dock. The only difference now is that the switch no longer needs to be docked and instead has to be plugged into an adapter. Meanwhile, the adapter must be connected to the game capture card via HDMI.
The best thing about using this method is that it is much more portable as the adapter must be much smaller and lighter than the Switch’s proprietary dock. So you can play on the go without having to carry a large Switch dock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect Nintendo Switch Lite to my laptop?
The Nintendo Switch Lite has the same USB-C port as the standard switch. The Switch Lite is the only USB 3.2 that the USB Nintendo Switch Lite supports, so it cannot output video to devices such as TVs or laptops. Nintendo Switch Lite has no hardware.
Can I use Switch Lite on my TV?
You can’t play the Nintendo Switch Lite on your TV, but you can play the game on the thinner version and then continue where you left off on the larger docked model. All you need is an internet connection and Nintendo’s paid membership service.
Can I connect my Ainsi switch to my pc? To use your Nintendo Switch with your computer or laptop, you’ll need to dock it and start its own setup process. … If the Nintendo Switch cable is connected to the TV, unplug it. Connect the HDMI cable to the Egato HDMI capture card. You need to open the Game Capture HD app on your laptop or computer.
Can Switch Lite use bluetooth headphones?
The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite didn’t have built-in Bluetooth at the time of release, but this was fixed in version 13.0.1. 0 updates. Now just follow the steps to connect your wireless headphones to the switch.
Is there a way to stream the switch without a capture card?
But what makes Streamlabs the best alternative to streaming without a capture card, aside from its slick interface and highly functional tools, is that it’s free and easily accessible on both Android and iOS devices.
Can I use my laptop as a switch monitor?
Nintendo Switch has an HDMI output port, you need to insert one end of the HDMI cable into this port and the other end of the cable into the HDMI port of your laptop. This method will allow you to view the Nintendo Switch display on your laptop.
How do I display HDMI on my laptop?
Connect one end of the HDMI cable to an available HDMI port on your TV. Note the connected HDMI input number. Connect the other end of the cable to the HDMI output port on your laptop or an adapter suitable for your computer. If you are using an adapter, connect it to your computer.
How do I get HDMI input from my laptop?
Just buy a controller board (with HDMI) compatible with your laptop’s LCD panel and connect the ribbon cable to the controller board. When the controller board is connected to a PC (or other device) it should detect it as a second display.
Why does HDMI show no signal?
Note: This message may appear after updating the Android TV™ software. Make sure the correct input is selected. This message appears if you select an input that is not connected to an active device. Make sure the source device is powered on and turned on.
Can I play 2 Nintendo Switch Lites together?
How about locally? The Nintendo Switch Lite system supports all kinds of multiplayer gaming options. You can use one system or multiple systems to play together online or in the same room.
Does the Switch Lite have bluetooth?
The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite didn’t have built-in Bluetooth at the time of release, but this was fixed in version 13.0.1. 0 updates. Now just follow the steps to connect your wireless headphones to the switch.
Can I connect my Nintendo Switch to my Chromebook?
yes you can However, you will need a capture card. Otherwise, the Chromebook won’t work because it’s not a TV.
Does the Switch Lite have a headphone jack?
And yes, there is a headphone jack. (But if you thought the lack of a detachable controller meant Bluetooth headphone support, you’re out of luck.) It also runs exactly the same as the default Switch and runs a fairly basic operating system, and Nintendo says the battery life is three to seven hours.
Can I use AirPods with Switch Lite?
How to connect AirPods to Nintendo Switch. You can’t pair Apple AirPods directly with a Nintendo Switch console, but you can pair AirPods with a Switch-compatible Bluetooth dongle. This dongle connects directly to the switch so you can use it with your AirPods.
Can I connect my Nintendo Switch to my laptop via USB?
A USB-A to USB-C cable allows you to connect your Nintendo Switch Controller Pro to your laptop. You need to connect USB-A to the laptop port and the other USB-C end to the controller. If Windows recognizes it, you will hear an audio signal from the laptop.
conclusion
If you’re ready to embrace this and plan to play a lot of Switch games on the bigger screen at home. Then you need to connect your Nintendo Switch to your laptop. Invest in a game capture card with good sound quality. The rest of the steps are very simple. Follow the guide. Then you will be ready to experience everything right away!
