Have you been playing your Nintendo Switch and thought to yourself, some of these games would look damn good on a monitor? Of course, we know that the Nintendo Switch has the ability to work with TVs but will it work on your high-end gaming monitor or even an old gaming monitor? Let’s jump in and take a look.
Can You Connect A Nintendo Switch To A PC Monitor?
Yes, just like connecting your Nintendo Switch to the TV you are able to connect it to a PC Monitor. The Switch connects to external monitors through HDMI, so if your monitor has an HDMI port you will easily be able to play your favourite Switch game on your monitor.
How To Connect Your Nintendo Switch To A Monitor
Now that we know we are able to connect a Nintendo Switch to an external monitor, let’s jump into the process of getting it set up.
What Do You Need To Connect Your Nintendo Switch To A Monitor?
There are a few items you will need to connect your Switch to a monitor. Without these items, you will be unable to get up and running.
Items needed:
- Nintendo Switch Dock
- Nintendo Switch
- HDMI Cable
- AC Power Adapter
- Monitor
- Pro Controller or Joycon Controller Adapter
All of the above should come with your Nintendo Switch apart from the Monitor and Pro Controller. The Nintendo Switch does come with a Joy-Con grip however the grip bundled with the console does not charge your Joycons. You will have to purchase the charging version separately if you want to play long gaming sessions.
How To Connect Your Nintendo Switch To A Monitor
Now that you have everything you need to connect your Switch to a monitor we need to connect everything together. Below is a step-by-step guide to getting set up.
- Get your Nintendo Switch dock and connect the AC power adapter to the dock
- Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the dock and the other into the Monitor
- Close the panel on the back of your dock
- Set your dock upright and slide your Nintendo switch into the dock
- Turn on your monitor and navigate to the HDMI port that you connected the HDMI cable to
- Your Nintendo Switch should now be appearing on your Monitor
As you can see it’s actually very easy to display your Nintendo Switch on a PC monitor. You can now sit back and enjoy those amazing Nintendo games on the big screen.
A great way to improve your gaming experience is with the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. If you plan to game a lot on your monitor rather than the Switches small screen then it might be a worthwhile purchase. You can check it out below.
Advantages Of Connecting A Nintendo Switch To A Monitor
Ultimately gaming on a monitor is the best possible gaming experience you can have. While gaming on the switch is great for travelling it’s not the best gaming experience you’re going to have.
It’s the same with TVs. Some are great for gaming but they will never beat a high-performance monitor.
The main advantage is getting that full-screen immersive 1080p gameplay from Switch games but on a monitor.
It is also great if you want to play with friends. For example, having two people race on Mario Kart on the Switch screen is a little small but with a monitor, you now have an amazing gaming experience you can share with friends.
Can I Connect A Nintendo Switch To A DVI Port?
You will not be able to connect a Nintendo Switch to a DVI port right out of the box as it does not come with a DVI cable. However, if you really want to use a Nintendo Switch with a monitor that only has a DVI port then you can get an HDMI to DVI adapter or get an HDMI to DVI cable.
Both of these options would allow you to connect your Switch to a monitor that only supported DVI.
No Sound When Using An HDMI to DVI Cable On Switch
If you are not getting any sound from your monitor it is likely due to using a DVI cable. To fix this problem you can connect speakers via AUX to your Nintendo Switch or use headphones with your Switch.
One of the best budget headsets that work with Switch and all of your other gaming consoles is the Turtle Beach Recon 70X.
Can I Connect A Nintendo Switch Lite To A Monitor?
Can I connect a Switch Lite to a Monitor? No, you cannot connect a Nintendo Switch Lite to a TV monitor. The Switch lite is a dedicated handheld device which does not come with a docking station nor is compatible with one. As the Switch lite does not have these extra features it comes in at a much cheaper price point.
Does The Nintendo Switch OLED Connect To TVs & Monitors?
Yes, the newer OLED version of the Nintendo Switch still has the ability to dock and connect to your TV so you can play your favourite Nintendo games on the big screen.
Can I Stream From My Nintendo Switch While Playing On A Monitor?
Yes, you can stream from a Nintendo Switch that is docked. Some of the biggest streamers on Twitch regularly stream them playing their favourite Nintendo Switch games but how do they do it?
Well, just like streaming from any other console you can use a capture card to capture your gameplay.
You plug the HDMI cable from your dock into a capture card connected to your computer. You plug another HDMI cable into your monitor from the capture card. The capture card acts as a pass-through so you can still game from your monitor while also sending the video to your computer so you can record or stream.
How To Get Audio On My Switch While It Is Docked?
Lots of monitors do not come with built-in speakers so you will need to use another option for audio.
The best options are:
- Connecting speakers to your Switch via Bluetooth
- Connecting Headphones to the Switch
Wrapping Up
So there you have it. You can now play some of those amazing Nintendo switch games on your monitor. For a lot of people, this might be a better way to play their favourite game when they’re at home however as it’s a Switch you can also take it on the road and continue your progress.
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