The company wisely made the process of switching between these two modes as easy as dropping your Switch handheld unit into its included dock. But, you’ll still need to connect that dock’s video output to your TV to get started. Also: The best Nintendo Switch accessories We’re going to show you how to do just that in only a couple of minutes.
How to connect a Nintendo Switch to you TV
Requirements
You’ll need your Nintendo Switch and its included dock, your TV of choice, and an HDMI cable (included with the Switch). The process should only take a couple of minutes, maybe even less.
Why is my Nintendo Switch not connecting to my TV?
First, check that all connections are secure, including both ends of your HDMI cable and the Switch’s power cable. Next, make sure the Nintendo Switch handheld is correctly seated in its dock and powered on. Finally, ensure that your TV is set to the correct input for the HDMI port the switch is connected to, the HDMI 1 input for HDMI In 1, for example. If you confirm all of these aspects of your hardware connection are correct and still don’t see output, try a different HDMI cable or HDMI port on your TV as the first of either of these could be faulty. Remaining issues might, unfortunately, include hardware problems with your Switch, its dock, or your TV. For the both the original and OLED docks, you need to pop open a rear door to access this port. Simply place your finger beneath the door and pull until it pops open. Once inside, you’ll see the I/O ports shown in the image above, or a nearly identical set of ports for the OLED version. Review: Nintendo Switch OLED Model Whichever cable you use, the process is the same. Simply plug one end into the HDMI Out port on the back side of your Switch’s dock. Once this is done, and all of your other required cables (power and USB or LAN) are also connected, you can close up the Switch’s back panel with your cables routed out of the provided opening. Find an empty port and plug the other end of the cable you connected to your Switch into the TV there. Finally, turn on your TV and set it to the correct input for the port you chose, HDMI 1 for HDMI In 1, for example. Also: The 5 best Nintendo Switch games
Can I connect my Switch to the TV without the included dock?
Yes. If you want to hook your Switch up at a friend’s house, or vacation home, you don’t need to bring your whole dock. However, you will still need some form of adapter. This could be a smaller travel-sized dock, a dongle that connects to the Switch’s USB-C port to provide the necessary video and power ports, or even a USB-C to HDMI adapters you already own for your laptop. Just make sure whichever model you choose specifies that it is compatible with Nintendo’s Switch.
How do I connect to my Nintendo Switch to my TV wirelessly?
Unfortunately, there’s really no useful way to wirelessly connect your Nintendo Switch to your TV. While you can use a wireless HDMI adapter, you’d still need to connect a wired transmitter dongle to your Switch, which sort of ruins the “wireless” portion of this idea. The Switch also doesn’t support built-in casting technologies like Google Cast or Apple’s AirPlay. However, you can use your disconnected Joy-Con controllers, or other compatible wireless controllers, wirelessly while your Switch is docked to the TV.
