The Switch has been a wildly successful console for Nintendo. Having sold almost 80 million units, it is undeniably one of the most popular gaming systems on the market at the moment. So it stands to reason that at least some of those players might want to share their gaming exploits with the world via Twitch.
Unfortunately, unlike the Xbox and PlayStation, the Switch does not come with a Twitch app, which means that it is not so straightforward to stream your gaming for your friends, family or fans to enjoy.
There is hope that the much anticipated Switch Pro might come with some additional features, and we can absolutely hope that an in-built Twitch app is one of these. But for the time being, what do you need to do to be able to use Twitch on your Switch?
Here's all you need to do, in order to get up and running on the path to becoming a streamer.
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How to watch Twitch on Nintendo Switch
As of May 2021, there is currently no way to watch Twitch on the Nintendo Switch through any official means.
However, if you still want to watch Twitch on the Switch, you can do so after installing the Android OS onto your Switch.
It is worth noting that installing Android comes with a lot of warnings, and we'd probably warn you against doing it, and this is not a recommendation. If your Switch breaks, Nintendo will not help to fix the console once modded.
The first thing you'll need to do is to install the Android OS to the console itself. This particular thread has a lot of notes on the things that it can do to affect your Nintendo Switch, so make sure you read it carefully.
Once you've done that, you'll want to hop over to a different XDA Developers thread, where they go over how to install Android onto your beloved console. Once again, make sure you pay attention to every step.
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Scratch that Twitch and stream from the Switch
To get started on your Twitch streaming journey, you're going to need a few items.
First and foremost is a Twitch account. But you'll also need a capture card, recording software, and potentially a webcam and a microphone if you want to record yourself whilst playing. In order to stream, you're also going to need to connect your Switch to a dock. This means that you will be unable to stream from a Nintendo Switch Lite, as it cannot connect to a dock.
Twitch recommends that you use a PC with a minimum of 8GB of RAM for streaming, and at least an Intel Core i5 processor. Assuming you have everything you need, this is how you get set up.
Setting everything up
- With the Switch in its dock, disconnect its HDMI cable from your television and plug it into your capture card.
- Next, connect your capture card to your computer via a USB cable.
- Using another HDMI cable, connect the capture card back into your TV. Go from the capture card's output port.
- Then you need to launch your recording software. There are plenty to choose from, some that we've seen include OBS Studio and Elgato Game Capture.
- You can link your Twitch account to your recording software.
- You also need to add your chosen video capture card to the software.
- At this point, a box showing live gameplay should appear.
- When you are ready, hit "Start Streaming" and you will be live on Twitch soon after.
That's the basics of getting your Switch set up so that you can stream your gameplay on Twitch. We look forward to watching those untimely deaths, flawless speed runs, and anything else you wish to share!
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