The Nintendo Switch console was released on March 3, 2017, and comes with a Dock (base station), that has HDMI out.
June 6 2025 - We now have a new article covering Switch 2 Video and Audio Troubleshooting.
Nintendo Switch Setup - Dock HDMI Out Must Be Used
The Nintendo Switch itself does not have a video out port - you cannot connect it directly to any Elgato Gaming product, no matter what adapter you try to use.
Instead, you must connect it to the special Nintendo Switch Dock that comes with the Nintendo Switch. That Dock has HDMI out.
1) Setup the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Dock as per Nintendo's instructions. Confirm that you get an image on a regular TV or monitor.
2) Unplug the Nintendo Switch Dock's HDMI cable from the TV or monitor. Leave the other end of the cable plugged into the Nintendo Switch Dock.
3) Connect the Nintendo Switch Dock to HDMI In port of your Elgato Gaming device using that same HDMI cable.
4) Connect the HDMI Out port of your Elgato Gaming device to your TV using another HDMI cable.
5) Connect your Elgato Gaming device to your computer, and launch the software.
Troubleshooting - No Audio
If you attach headphones or a headset to the Nintendo Switch while it is in the Nintendo Switch Dock, then audio will not pass through to the HDMI output. That means that audio will not reach your Elgato Gaming device, or the passthrough TV or display.
This is due to how the Nintendo Switch is designed. Only Nintendo can change this design.
If you remove your headset or headphones, then audio returns to the capture.
To use a headset with a Nintendo Switch, one solution is to use a Elgato Chat Link Pro Cable.
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