Want to play games like Super Smash Bros, or Animal Crossing on your laptop?
You may already know that for this to happen, you must connect the Nintendo Switch to your laptop, which is exactly what we’re going to teach you how to do in today’s how-to guide.
Or you could run the PC versions of your favorite Nintendo games on your laptop as well, but if that’s not working for you for one reason or another, we’ll give you the second solution, which is to connect the switch to your laptop.
Let’s dig in!
How to Connect Nintendo Switch to a Laptop
First of all, you must connect your laptop to a power source, as this process can be a bit power-intensive so you want to make sure that your laptop’s battery doesn’t die on you in the middle of doing this.
Follow this 8-step process:
- Disconnect the HDMI cable of your Nintendo Switch from your TV.
- Now plug it into the HDMI IN port on your Elgato HD60 HDMI capture card.
- After that, open the Game Capture HD on your laptop.
- Turn on your Nintendo Switch.
- Now connect your Elgato HD60‘s USB cable to the capture card and your laptop.
- After waiting a few seconds, you’ll see your Nintendo Switch’s home screen within the Game Capture HD software.
- 7. Once you see it, select the fullscreen icon in the top-right corner of the software. (To make it fullscreen)
- 8. Just as you would be able to play on your TV, now you can play your Nintendo Switch games on your laptop.
Wait… There’s another way!
In case you don’t have the HDMI capture card, or perhaps you can’t afford to buy one, an alternative, in that case, would be that you play the PC versions of those Nintendo games on your laptop.
The controllers you use with your Nintendo Switch, most of them if not all, are also compatible with your PC or laptop.
Almost all games from the Nintendo Switch are also available for Windows-based PCs from Microsoft Store, Epic Games, and Steam– with the exception of a few franchises such as Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and Pokemon.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nintendo Switch Games on Laptop
Can I use my laptop as a screen for my switch?
Sadly, no, you can not use your laptop as a screen for your switch. Because the HDMI connector on your laptop doesn’t accept input, it only outputs a display to an external monitor.
Can HDMI on a laptop be used as input?
Nope, there’s absolutely no way you can do that. (Or maybe there is, but we’re in the future yet!)
How do I reverse HDMI input?
It is not possible people, stop asking these questions. 😅
Its circuitry is designed to only output the display, not take an input, so it’s not really possible to do that.
Writer Isaac Masterson brings two decades of technical communications experience to The Holy Tech coverage. Isaac contributes articles on laptops, tablets and PCs, alongside various software and hardware guides. Isaac is a former newspaper journalist who also worked in tech communications for some of the country’s biggest corporations. He also counsels and creates material for other technology publications and hosts a podcast.
Isaac’s in-depth reporting and knowledge of hardware and software issues helps The Holy Tech’s readers learn how to choose the right products, or solve tricky problems.