How to connect your Nintendo Switch to the TV

The Nintendo Switch is one-part handheld and one-part home console. But how easy is it to connect up to your TV? 

The hybrid console can be played in a number of ways. There’s handheld mode, where you play with the controllers attached to the side of the Switch’s display. 

There’s also tabletop mode, where you lean the Switch on its kickstand and detach the controllers for solo or group play. 

Or there’s docked mode. This allows you to send a video feed from your console to a television in order to enjoy your favorite Nintendo games on a screen deserving of them.

The Nintendo Switch’s own screen is only 6.2 inches, after all, with a middling 1,280 x 720 pixel resolution. This makes it perfect for gaming on-the-move, whether you're going on holiday or commuting. 

But if you're staying put, replacing that with a 40-inch screen and 1,920 x 1,080 resolution makes a big difference in every sense of the word. And it'll bring out even more loving detail from the games you’re using your Switch for. 

A big screen is, of course, also much better for playing games with friends. Playing Mario Kart in split-screen on a 6.2-inch display is less than ideal.

The good news is it’s simple to get your Switch up and running on your TV, and we’ve run through each step in our how-to guide below.

1. Get your wires ready

When you buy a Nintendo Switch console, you’ll get a gray-black dock bundled in for this very purpose. First, you need to open the back of the dock, revealing two cable ports.

The uppermost port is for the AC adaptor, which plugs into a wall socket to supply power to the console. The lower port is for an HDMI 2.0 cable, with one end plugging in here and the other end plugging into your TV. The Switch can’t stream content wirelessly to another device, so you’ll need a cable to do the hard work.

2. Get your Switch ready

Once you’re all plugged in and you've closed the back of the dock, you’ll need to place your Switch console inside the dock. You slide the Switch in from the top of the dock, with the screen facing out of the front (where you can see the Switch logo). There’s a small connector point at the bottom of the dock that plugs into the console, which is easy to slide onto.

3. Detach your controllers

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to slide off the controllers from your Switch. The Joy-Con controllers jut out from the sides of the dock, and you’ll still be able to reach them; all you have to do is press in the small ‘release’ button on the back of each Joy-Con and slide it upwards, detaching it from the console.

New Switch purchases will also come with a Joy-Con grip you can slide the controllers into – pictured above – though you can also use a Pro controller, or even use one Joy-Con turned on its side.

4. Turn on that TV already

Next, turn on the TV, and search for the correct HDMI input. Many TVs will have a ‘Source’ button on the remote, or have a menu for inputs among the settings.

You’ll be able to turn on some modern TVs simply by hitting the home button on your Switch controller, activating the display and jumping straight to the right input – though you can also turn this feature off in the Switch’s own settings menu.

Keep in mind that your TV or monitor will need to be at least 1080p to see a graphical difference – though the Switch can’t output in 4K resolution, even if the television is capable of it.

5. Start playing!

That's it! Nothing left to do but sit back and relax with your seamless gaming setup.

There are few games that wouldn't be improved with the TV treatment, and you can head to our list of the best Nintendo Switch games to see the best contenders – or Nintendo Switch SD cards to fit even more games onto your console.