At that place are diverse reasons why gamers would desire to connect a Switch to your Windows x or xi PC and dissimilar meanings to what "connecting" these two devices means in the first place.

If y'all've got a notion to combine your Switch with your PC somehow, nosotros'll walk you through the unlike options and possibilities that are out in that location.

Connect Your Switch to a Monitor

If all you want is to play your Nintendo Switch games on your calculator'south monitor, you don't demand to connect it to your PC. About modernistic monitors take HDMI connectors and are likely to have more than than ane. And so all you demand to do is plug your Switch dock into your monitor using an HDMI cablevision.

You'll need to switch inputs to the port you've plugged the Switch Dock to on your monitor. If the monitor has built-in speakers, you tin can get sound directly from the screen. Even if it doesn't accept speakers, many monitors have a headphone output to which you can connect speakers or headphones.

Remember that the Switch now supports Bluetooth sound equally long equally you've updated to the right firmware version. You lot tin can besides use the headphone output on the Switch itself when plugged into a PC monitor.

Use a Capture Menu

Suppose you want to see your Switch's video and audio output on your figurer'southward screen, such as a laptop. In that case, you can use a USB video capture device such as the Elgato HD60 S+, which replaces the Elgato Game Capture HD60 South and offers several substantial upgrades over the old model.

This capture card is well-suited to laissez passer your Switch's sound and video to your figurer. Fifty-fifty if you too desire to capture footage from your Switch, every bit long as your estimator meets the card'southward requirements, yous'll experience no lag. The capture card's software works best on Microsoft Windows systems, simply Macs are officially supported.

If you own a Playstation 4 or v, Xbox 1, or Xbox Series console, you tin can also connect them to the capture device and play while recording your gameplay without whatsoever lag. It does take a few clicks to become it all set and switch to full screen mode in the Elgato software, just it'due south worth information technology for the consequence.

A Note on the Switch Low-cal

The Switch Lite lacks the hardware to output a video signal, and then any solution that depends on the HDMI output in the Switch dock won't work with the Switch Low-cal. In that location are specialist hardware modifications to add this feature to a Switch Lite, just information technology'south cheaper to purchase a second regular Switch. Otherwise, you're stuck with the Switch screen.

Use a USB Cable to Transfer Photos and Videos

As of Switch Arrangement Software eleven.0.0, you tin connect the Switch to your computer using a USB-C cable connected to your PC's USB port. The Switch volition merely show up on your computer equally a USB drive. Only head to:

System Settings > Information Direction > Manage Screenshots and Videos > Copy to a Computer via USB Connection

If yous see a "Connected to the Computer" bulletin, y'all can open the Switch bulldoze in your operating system. When done, remember to select Disconnect.

Use Smart Device Transfer for Photos and Videos

You tin can quickly transfer videos and photos from your Switch to your PC using the Smart Device transfer function. Once these media are on your smart device, you tin can sync them to the cloud or otherwise transfer them to your PC the style you'd move any other file on your smartphone to a computer. The only limitation is that you can but share ten photos (and one video) at in one case.

This method works by temporarily turning your Switch into a spider web server. Hither's how to use the characteristic:

  1. From the Switch Home screen, choose the Anthology icon.
  1. Select the photo or video yous want to transfer.
  1. Select Posting and Editing, and so choose Send to Smart Device.
  1. You can send items individually or as a group. Select the option that suits your needs.
  1. When prompted, the Switch will display a QR code, scan information technology with your smartphone camera, and connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot.
  1. One time connected, the Switch will brandish a new QR code. Scan this lawmaking, and it will open a web page with your content.
  1. Save them to your smart device using your browser.

This is an ingenious solution on Nintendo's part, but it doesn't always work for everyone. The good news is that you tin admission the data more directly from the SD card.

Utilise an SD Card Reader

If y'all want to copy all of your content to your PC from your Switch, you can merely remove the SD card from its slot and utilise a USB SD menu adapter or integrated SD card slot to view the card's contents.

Be sure to turn your Switch off earlier removing the SD card. Yous shouldn't alter any SD card'south contents unless yous know exactly what you lot are doing. You tin also back up the SD card contents if annihilation goes wrong with the card y'all currently take, but you lot can't use that content on a dissimilar console.

If y'all want to upgrade to a larger SD card, yous can utilize your PC to copy the contents over, and information technology will work without issue.

Play The PC Version of the Switch Game Instead

Many third-party Switch games are bachelor as PC ports. So if you want to play the same game on your PC, you oft have the option of buying the game on the PC. Unfortunately, this means purchasing the game twice, but you'll find that the PC version is cheaper than the Switch and other consoles.

Of course, this doesn't assistance if you want to continue using the aforementioned salve files nowadays on your Switch. Sadly, few games on the Switch offer cloud syncing with their PC versions, but a few key titles do let this. For example, Diablo Two Resurrected (cross-progression is planned), The Witcher three, and Divinity Original Sin 2 offer cantankerous-progression features.

If you lot want universal cross-progression with your PC and handheld, consider buying a Steam Deck or similar handheld PC running Steam or whatsoever other PC gaming clients that support cloud-sync.

Utilize A Switch Emulator

Some other mode to go a Switch game running on your PC is to use a Switch emulator. This software simulates the Switches' hardware, allowing y'all to run those games on your computer. If your computer is fast plenty, y'all tin can fifty-fifty run those Switch games at better resolutions and frame rates than the Switch is capable of.

There are even ways of moving your relieve files to and from your Switch and emulator. However, this isn't a polished, user-friendly experience. The principal trouble with the emulator selection is that information technology may be illegal where y'all live.

You demand to own a legal copy of the game you want to play, just always exist sure to cheque your local laws and whether emulating software you lot bought is legal in your part of the world!

Connect Joy-Cons or the Switch Pro Controller to Your PC

You may exist trying to connect your Joy-Cons or Pro Controller to your PC rather than your entire Switch. While you're amend off using an Xbox controller or even a Playstation controller with PC games, if all you have is a Nintendo controller (or you lot're emulating Nintendo titles), they are easy to hook up to your computer.

If y'all're using Joy-Con controllers, your PC volition see each controller equally a separate device. This is fine if yous want to play some retro games in 2-player fashion on your PC, merely modern games aren't going to piece of work at all. One option is to manually map controls in the game to each individual Joy-Con, but most titles won't support this.

You can use the BetterJoy app to let your Joy-Cons work as a single controller, compatible with whatsoever game that works with an Xbox controller. BetterJoy as well makes the Pro controller uniform in the same way.

If your computer doesn't have Bluetooth, you'll need to buy a Bluetooth adapter before connecting the Joy-Cons. After all, they don't have any ports to connect a USB cable.

You accept to hold down the sync button on each Joy-Con (or the Pro controller) until the lights start flashing.

Then look for the controller nether Bluetooth devices on your PC.

In the example of the Pro Controller, yous can but plug it into your computer using a USB wired connection, and it volition work with no further endeavour.

Culling Option: Use a Portable Monitor

If y'all only want a large screen to connect your Switch to, but want the portability of a laptop, then some other option is to utilize a portable monitor. These tin can run off USB power, accept born speakers, and take HDMI input ports. You can apply the USB-C cable bundled with the Switch Pro Controller.

These screens are thin enough to fit in the same laptop bag if you travel with your laptop. Not only that, when you aren't using the portable monitor for your Switch, you tin can use it as a 2d screen for your laptop or desktop PC. Then really, it's a justified expense!

A Rocky Relationship

As you can tell from the diverse workarounds, there isn't a true manner to connect Nintendo Switch consoles to a PC that lets the devices operate. At best, you can make your PC act as a glorified TV, but if your main goal is to capture game footage, so that'due south exactly what you lot desire to do!

If you lot merely want to play your Super Mario or Pokemon on a PC screen, nosotros hope the alternatives here give y'all a more affordable path than ownership a capture menu. And past now, you're enjoying mid-sized Switch fun abroad from your Telly screens.