How To Connect Nintendo Switch To MacBook Pro Laptop (Easy Guide)

It is explained in this article how to connect the Nintendo Switch to a laptop and use it to play games such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Animal Crossing New Horizons on a personal computer. If you don’t have an HDMI capture card, you may still use your laptop to play the PC versions of your favourite Nintendo Switch games if you don’t have one.

Note: You might remember utilizing an HDMI connection to reflect the screen of your computer on a monitor or television screen. This is an HDMI Out port, which means that it cannot be used to display other media on your laptop’s display screen.

How to Connect Nintendo Switch to a Laptop

In order to play your Nintendo Switch on your laptop, you’ll essentially be using the monitor on your laptop as a television screen, which means you can leave your Nintendo Switch in its dock for the duration of this setup process.

1. Disconnect the HDMI cord that connects the Nintendo Switch to your television.

2. To use your Elgato HD60 HDMI capture card, connect the Nintendo Switch’s HDMI cable to the HDMI In port on the capture card.

Note: This entire procedure can be resource-intensive, so it’s a good idea to put both your laptop and the Nintendo Switch dock into a power source during this time period.

3. Open Game Capture HD on your laptop and record your gameplay.

4. Using Elgato Game Capture HD on Windows 10 is a simple process.  To turn on your Nintendo Switch console, press the Home button on any connected controller until the console turns on.

5. Connect the Elgato HD60 capture card to your laptop using the USB connector that was included with the device.

6. Game Capture HD should display your Nintendo Switch home screen within a few seconds, if everything went well.

Note: Elgato Game Capture HD on Windows 10 was used to capture the Nintendo Switch.
If the Nintendo Switch is not detected by Elgato’s Game Capture HD software, check that the HDMI cable is inserted into the capture card’s In port rather than the Out port of the capture card. It should be located on the same side of the computer as the USB cord.

7. In Game Capture HD, click on the Fullscreen icon in the top-right corner to make the programme fully visible. The software should take up the entirety of the display screen.

8. In Game Capture HD, there is a Fullscreen icon.
Take cautious not to accidentally touch your mouse or keyboard. The footage from the Nintendo Switch should immediately expand to encompass the entire screen on its own accord. You can now use your laptop to play your Nintendo Switch games in the same way that you would on a television.

Note: The Nintendo Switch is being played on a laptop running Windows 10.
When viewing material from any other device that has an HDMI cable, the same procedure can be employed.

About Capture Cards

You can use any capture card for this operation, as long as it has a USB–C connection and an HDMI In connector, which are both required. There are various excellent capture cards to pick from, but Elgato cards are typically considered the finest by gamers due to their cost, build quality, and ease of use, among other factors.

For these instructions, we’ll be using an Elgato HD60 HDMI capture device, as well as the free Elgato Game Capture HD programme. The capture card may be purchased on Amazon, and the free software can be downloaded from the Elgato website’s official page.

If you’re connecting your Switch to your laptop with a different capture card, the procedure should be the same as described above. In a similar vein, most game capture software functions in the same way, so if you have another programme that you like to use instead of Game Capture HD, you can substitute it.

Note: This strategy does not applicable to the Switch Lite, as it is too small.

Another Way to Play Nintendo Switch Games on Your Laptop

If you don’t have an HDMI capture card and don’t want to spend the money on one, playing the PC versions of your favorite Nintendo Switch games on your laptop is a viable option. The majority of Nintendo Switch controllers are also compatible with laptops and desktop PCs, so you won’t have to get used to any new controls.

Many of the video games available on the Nintendo Switch (with the exception of first-party titles such as Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and Poke mon) are also accessible from the Microsoft Store app store for Windows 10, Epic Games, or Steam. Some popular online games, such as Minecraft and Fortnite, even allow you to store your progress across multiple devices. In other words, you may keep on with a game that you started on your Nintendo Switch on your laptop, and then transfer all of that progress back to your Switch when you’re finished with it.

Tip: If you often purchase console games for your PC and own an Xbox One machine, you should look into the Xbox Play Anywhere titles available. These allow you to save money by purchasing both the console and PC versions of the game for the price of a single title.