How to Connect Nintendo Switch to Laptop? (Simple Process)

You may have been playing your Nintendo switch on big screens like LCD/TVs. But, this feature might not be available at certain locations; what will you do? So, what if you connect Nintendo switch to laptop and enjoy? Is it possible? Let’s see!

So, is it possible to connect Nintendo switch to laptop?

Yes, it is possible to connect Nintendo switch to laptop! All you need is to have HDMI cable, Nintendo dock, a video capturing card and a video capturing software. Once you have these, you will follow the instruction given later in the article to connect Nintendo switch to laptop!

To have more details regarding whether you can connect Nintendo switch to laptop, how you can do it and what are the alternative strategies; please keep reading!

What Is Nintendo Switch
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Caution

The mentioned method only applies to the original Nintendo Switch and does not apply to other models such as Switch Lite

What is Nintendo Switch?

Nintendo Dock

The Switch is a gaming console that was first launched on March 3, 2017, by a Japanese company “Nintendo”, which has been a part of the gaming community since 1889 when it built handmade Hanafuda gaming cards. This company has an elderly and significant name in the market as do their popular release The Switch.

The Switch is the popular gaming console which is mostly considered a decent home-gaming setup as it offers a large display unit experience supported by your very own house TV. People who are habitual to a big screen find it difficult to play on the built-in small display.

But with our today’s topic, you can have a portable yet large display Nintendo Switch experience at every place where you can take your Laptop with you.

Things you need to connect switch to a Laptop?

A laptop is not designed for this particular purpose but it can be used for it, though we will need certain things to make this process work. Below, I mention all the things you will need to connect your Nintendo Switch to your Laptop and use it as a display monitor.

Nintendo Dock

How To Connect Switch To Laptop

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Nintendo Dock is used in connecting your Switch with a smart TV to experience a large display, and the process here will be quite similar to a TV connection which means your Nintendo Switch will rest in the Dock the whole time.

You receive a Dock with your Nintendo Switch if you buy officially from the company or an official seller. But if you do not have one, you can order an original Nintendo Dock online.

Video Capturing Card

Video captured card

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You will need a video capturing card for this purpose which is widely used by gamers for streaming on many platforms. You can use any available Video obtaining card or use one of the popular option, Elgato Video capture card which is top-selling, affordable and reliable video capture card in the market. 

You just have to make sure that the one you are buying has both the HDMI In and HDMI out port.

HDMI Cable

Hdmi Cable

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It would help if you had an HDMI cable to share both audio and video with your Laptop. The Switch often comes with a high-quality HDMI cable that can be used for any such purpose. But if you didn’t receive or have lost it, you will have to buy a new one.

Video Capturing Software

There are many free and premium software available online, and you can use any of them. One of the common recommendations is Elgato’s free video capturing software. You can entirely rely on the free version for this specific purpose as it allows high-quality 720p and 1080p streaming.

And using the official Elgato’s software and video capture card will prevent any sort of lag in the display.

How to Connect Nintendo Switch to Laptop?

Once you have gathered the requirements, you’re good to go!

Here are the steps to connect Nintendo switch to laptop:

Step 1: Disconnect the Nintendo Switch from your TV .

Step 2: Plug your switch HDMI cable into the HDMI in port on the capture card.

Step 3: Open the software, Game Capture HD on your Laptop.

Step 4: Now you have to turn your Nintendo Switch on with the “home” button on your controller.

Step 5: Then connect your Laptop with the Video Capture card by a USB cable. You will see the Switch Console menu on your laptop screen once they are connected.

Step 6: You can go to full screen by clicking the “Full Screen” icon on the top-right of Switch Capture HD home screen.

Nintendo Switch to Laptop with HDMI or Bluetooth

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How to Stream Nintendo Switch to PC?

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For Your Information

All these steps are necessary, and without following each of these, you cannot use Laptop’s screen as a display monitor. Although, these methods work in all window versions and almost every laptop model.

If you are somehow, unable to follow any of the steps, you can use an alternative strategy to relish the gaming on your Laptop.

Alternative strategy

There are two general alternative strategies you can use if your Laptop is unable to connect to your Nintendo Switch with this method. You can change your Laptop, or you can somehow install Nintendo games on your Laptop.

If you are using an elderly laptop, it could not be used as a display monitor, and you are bound to use an alternative solution. Changing Laptop is useful as most new laptops can serve this purpose.

If you have decided to try and play your favorite games on Laptop, then you would be pleased to know that a lot of popular games that are were made for Nintendo Switch are also available to run on Windows.

You can download or even buy games for multiple platforms under the category of “Xbox Play Anywhere” tag in an Xbox store, and you will have to pay for one game only.

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Conclusion

We have simplified the procedure to connect a Nintendo switch with Laptop, and anyone with basic tech knowledge can easily follow these steps. It is all about requirements and if you meet them all, you can surely play Nintendo switch games with a large display at many locations.

In the end, I hope you could apply this method so that you can enjoy a big screen with your Nintendo Switch anywhere you want. We have also suggested simplified alternative plans so that if you are not able to meet all the requirements, you can use them as there is no other way to connect a Nintendo switch with a laptop.

If you have any queries or suggestions for this content, kindly let us know below.

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