Have you ever wanted to live stream your Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay or record videos right from your Nintendo Switch to share online? By connecting your Switch console to a laptop, you can capture real-time game footage, add overlays and webcam video, and broadcast to audiences on Twitch, YouTube, and more.
While the Switch‘s USB-C port is mostly just for charging, with the right hardware like a capture card you can get your Switch gameplay onto your laptop screen.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover:
- What equipment you’ll need
- Step-by-step instructions for getting set up
- Tips for capturing footage and troubleshooting issues
- Answers to frequently asked questions
I’ll explain each step clearly like a friend looking over your shoulder, so even if you’re unfamiliar with live streaming and capture devices you’ll learn how to connect these two great gadgets. Let‘s dive in!
What You‘ll Need
Connecting your Nintendo Switch to a laptop requires just a few key pieces of equipment:
- Nintendo Switch and TV
- Laptop
- Capture card
- HDMI cables
- Software like OBS or Streamlabs
Here’s a breakdown of what each component does:
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | The game console that has the gameplay video you want to stream or record. |
| TV | Displays the Switch‘s HDMI video output just like when normally playing games. |
| Laptop | Runs the video capture software and records or streams the Switch gameplay that the capture card inputs. |
| Capture Card | The special hardware device that grabs the Switch‘s HDMI signal and feeds it into your laptop via USB. |
| HDMI Cables | Carries the video signal from the Switch‘s dock to the capture card, and from the capture card to your TV. |
| Streaming Software | Applications like OBS and Streamlabs take the video input from the capture card and handle recording it locally or broadcasting it live over the internet. |
Step 1: Connect Capture Card to Laptop
The first thing you need to do is connect your video capture card to your laptop. Most capture cards use a simple USB connection, but some may also require a power cable.
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Locate the USB port and any other required ports on your video capture hardware. There should be at least one input for HDMI and one output for USB.
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Plug the USB cable from the capture card directly into an available USB port on your laptop.
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If your capture device also requires external power, connect that cable now too.
💡Pro Tip: Make sure you have the latest drivers and software from the manufacturer‘s website installed for maximum compatibility.
Step 2: Connect Switch Dock to Capture Card
Next we‘ll plug the Nintendo Switch‘s HDMI output from its TV dock into the video capture device‘s HDMI input. This feeds the Switch‘s live gameplay video into the capture card.
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Turn off your Nintendo Switch and disconnect the HDMI cable running from its dock to your television.
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Take this same Switch dock HDMI cable and connect it to the HDMI input port on your video capture hardware instead.
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Leave your Switch turned off for now while setting up the rest of the connections.
Step 3: Connect Capture Card to TV
Now we need to send the Switch‘s gameplay video back out from the capture card to your TV so you can actually see what you‘re playing.
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Grab a separate HDMI cable and plug one end into the video capture device‘s HDMI output port.
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Take the other end of this HDMI cable and connect it to the open HDMI input on your television.
So in summary, the Switch dock feeds into the capture card, then the capture card passes the signal back out to your TV.
Step 4: Install and Configure Streaming Software
We‘ve got the critical hardware connections in place, now it‘s time to install and set up streaming software on your laptop:
Download Streaming Software
You have choices here, but OBS Studio is a very popular free and open source streaming app for Windows, Mac, and Linux. I‘ll be focusing on OBS but the concepts apply similarly to other software like Streamlabs OBS.
Add Capture Card Source in OBS
Once OBS is installed, add your capture card as a "Video Capture Device" source:
- Click the + button in the Sources box
- Select Video Capture Device
- Choose your connected capture card from the list
- A live preview of your capture card input will appear!
Configure Stream Settings
Finally, setup your streaming preferences like stream key, server, etc and you‘re ready to broadcast!
💡 Pro Tip: For more details on configuring OBS, check out my Complete Guide to OBS Studio.
Step 5: Power On Nintendo Switch
The hardware is connected, the software is dialed in. Flip that power switch on the side of your Switch console‘s dock and watch the gameplay spring to life on your TV and in your OBS video preview!
Step 6: Start Recording or Streaming
Now the fun part…let‘s capture some live Nintendo gameplay!
The fastest way to start is clicking the Record button (the red circle icon) at the bottom right of OBS studio. This will capture gameplay directly to your hard drive.
For streaming, you first need to connect OBS to your streaming account(s) in Preferences. Then click Start Streaming and share your gameplay with the world!
I won‘t cover the specifics of recording vs streaming here, but now that your Switch feed is flowing into OBS both options are at your fingertips. Just toggle that big Stream/Record button in the bottom right corner.
Step 7: Play Switch Games!
So with all the equipment configured correctly:
- Your Nintendo Switch gameplay displays on your TV like normal
- That live video also flows into your laptop
- Allowing you to record locally or live stream your session!
Now it‘s time to play games, give commentary, interact with viewers in chat…whatever your goals are for sharing your Nintendo Switch gameplay online.
Have fun and be sure to tweak settings in OBS to improve video/audio quality.
Streaming Switch Games on PC
An added bonus once you connect your Switch to a capture card is that many popular Switch games are also available natively on PC. Games purchased on Nintendo eShop can only be played on Switch hardware.
But many titles from third party publishers like Ubisoft and Epic are on platforms like Steam and Origin too. So if you already own them there, you can potentially play them on a laptop without needing the Switch itself!
For example, if you own Rocket League or Fortnite on PC, you could essentially use your laptop in place of the Switch console and play with Switch Pro controller connected via USB. Capturing PC gameplay doesn‘t require any special hardware like a capture card.
Just something extra to consider!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add more Switch games via the laptop?
Unfortunately no, all Switch game data is stored on the proprietary cartridges. The only way to add more games is to insert new cartridges directly into the Switch console itself.
Why does Nintendo use USB-C charging instead of a proprietary connector?
Beginning with the Switch, Nintendo adopted the increasingly common USB-C connector used for charging, data transfer, and display output in one standardized port. This offers more flexibility compared to legacy proprietary connectors.
Can I use the Switch in handheld mode with a capture card?
Sadly capture cards only work when the Switch console is docked and outputting HDMI video to a TV or other display. The handheld Switch screen can‘t directly feed into a video capture device.
I hope this guide has demystified exactly how to integrate your Nintendo Switch with a PC laptop for capturing direct feed gameplay video and live streaming. Let me know if you have any other questions!
