This guide will cover setting up the Nintendo Switch with Elgato 4K Pro.
Contents
Video Guide
Required Items for Setup
The following are required for capturing the Nintendo Switch:
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo Switch Dock with power adapter
- Desktop PC with the 4K Pro installed in available PCIe 2.0 or higher (x4/x8/x16) slot.
- 2 x HDMI cables.
- One is provided with 4K Pro.
Setup Steps
1) Navigate to Nintendo Switch System Settings > TV Settings.
2) Set the TV Resolution to 1080p or 720p, set the TV Sound to Stereo, and disable Match TV Power State.
3) Connect your Nintendo Switch Dock to the HDMI In of 4K Pro via an HDMI cable.
4) Connect the HDMI Out of 4K Pro to your TV/Monitor via an HDMI cable.
5) Connect the 4K Pro to your computer via a USB cable.
6) Open 4K Capture Utility to start capturing right away, or add 4K Pro to your preferred streaming software such as OBS Studio, XSplit, Streamlabs Desktop, and more.
4K Capture Utility is available for download at elgato.com.
Using headphones while Switch is docked
The Nintendo Switch will not output game sound over HDMI if headphones are plugged into the headphone port.
Unplug headphones connected to the Switch headphone port to capture game sound via HDMI.
Below are some solutions for using headphones.
Solution #1) Use the TV/Monitor headphone port
Some TVs and most computer monitors have headphone ports located at the rear.
Connect your headphones directly to the TV or monitor instead of the Switch.
Audio will go from the Switch to the capture card, then to the display via HDMI, and then to your headphones via the headphone port.
Solution #3) Use software audio playback
Some software such as 4K Capture Utility and OBS Studio can playback capture device sound to headphones connected to a PC.
Software sound playback will have slightly higher latency than the other two solutions.
OBS Studio
1) Right-click inside the audio mixer and select Advanced Audio Properties.
2) Find the 4K Pro source and select "Monitor and Output" in the Audio Monitoring column.
3) If the audio has a slight echo, mute desktop audio in the audio mixer or the advanced audio properties, and select "Monitor only (Mute output)."