You are there playing quietly with your brand new Nintendo Switch but there is something you find a little annoying: every time you find yourself moving in the general menu of the console, in the Nintendo eShop or in the games and you are asked to enter a password or would you like to write a message, a virtual keyboard appears promptly on the screen, which you find really uncomfortable to use when the console is connected to the base (and, therefore, you cannot use its touch-screen). To type every single letter, in fact, you have to move with the analog or the directional arrows of the pad and then press a key to confirm, in short: a real nuisance.
So you’re wondering how to connect the keyboard to the Switch in order to make these steps more immediate and easy, right? You might also want to know if a mouse can be connected, what games and peripherals are compatible, and if any of these devices can also be connected to Switch Lite. Did I guess? Excellent, then: I inform you that you have just found the guide that is right for you. I will answer all these questions of yours in the course of my tutorial.
I’ll explain the simplest way to connect these peripherals to your console, so that, finally, playing and navigating the menus will be a real pleasure even with the console connected to the base. If that’s okay with you, you can start getting comfortable and take a few minutes to continue with the next few lines. I just have to wish you a good read and, above all, a good time!
Index
- Preliminary information
- How to connect a keyboard to the Switch
- How to connect wired keyboard to Switch
- How to connect wireless keyboard to Switch
- How to connect mouse and keyboard to Switch
- How to connect a keyboard to Switch Lite
Preliminary information
Have you recently purchased the Switch, are unfamiliar with the console and would like to know first what connection methods for peripherals are supported by the latter? Answering this question is very simple and does not require too many words. Switch, in fact, has only a USB Type-C input available on the console body (the one used for charging) and the headphone jack (in addition to the slots for cartridges and microSD) on the console body; on the base to connect to the TV, on the other hand, there are an HDMI port and three USB 2.0 ports : two on the side and one on the back.
To be able to connect a keyboard to your console, you can use the USB inputs of the Dock: in this case, however, you can only use them when the console is connected to the base . You can also connect a radio frequency receiver for wireless keyboards and wireless mice to the same USB ports , in order to use wireless peripherals.
Alternatively, if you’re wondering if a keyboard or mouse can be connected to the Switch even when the console is in portable mode , the answer to is yes. However, in this case, you will need a USB OTG adapter with a USB-A input and a USB Type-C connector, to plug into the console. I’ll explain all the details to you in a little while .
The same “trick” can also be used on Switch Lite , the portable-only model of Switch with only a USB-C port, audio jack and slot for cartridges and microSD. I’ll tell you more about it in the dedicated chapter of this guide.
Also, I inform you that Switch and Switch Lite support Bluetooth 4.1 technology . However, this type of connection is reserved exclusively for Joy-Con controllers, which means that you will not be able to connect peripherals to the Switch in this way… unless you use external adapters; in that case, for example, it becomes possible to also connect headphones to the Switch via Bluetooth, as I explained to you in my tutorial on the subject. For all the details, read on.
Note: I would like to point out that, in any case, you can change the layout of the keyboard connected to Switch by going to the Settings menu (the gear icon found in the main menu), selecting the System item from the left sidebar and pressing on the item USB keyboard .
How to connect a keyboard to the Switch
Having said that, let me show you how to connect a keyboard (or even a mouse ) to the Switch . As you will soon see, these are really very simple and immediate operations that will allow you to take advantage of these devices on your console, with some limitations that I will talk to you about in due course.
How to connect wired keyboard to Switch
Are you wondering how to connect keyboard to Switch and are you in possession of a wired keyboard ? I’ll explain immediately how to proceed, it’s really child’s play. Just take the USB connector located at the end of the keyboard cable you want to connect and insert it into the rectangular-shaped inputs (the same as the connector) located on the Dock of the console, the latter can be either already on or off.
You should know that the Dock in which you can insert the Nintendo Switch, to use the latter as a fixed console, has three USB 2.0 inputs. You find two at the bottom of the left side of the Dock. The third is instead hidden by the door with the Nintendo logo placed on the back of the same Dock. The input is located between the HDMI port and the AC charger port of the power supply.
Once you have inserted the connector you will not need to carry out any further operations. Switch is in fact able to automatically recognize the peripheral connected in this way, try typing some text as soon as possible and judge for yourself! I must inform you, however, that the keyboard connected in this way cannot properly be used for gaming as you would on a PC.
The keyboard on Switch, in fact, can only be used to enter text when asked, for example when you are on the eShop and want to type the name of a title to search for, when in a game you are asked to enter a name for a character or when you can chat. In short, in the same cases in which the on-screen keyboard normally appears (the latter, in fact, will continue to be displayed on the screen even with a keyboard connected via USB).
The good news is that, however, in some apps, such as YouTube and Nintendo eShop, you can navigate the menus using the arrow keys on the keyboard, confirm by pressing the Enter key, and cancel or exit by pressing the Esc key . Convenient, right?
If you want to use a keyboard when the console is in portable mode, as I mentioned in the preliminary information chapter , you must use a USB OTG adapter with a standard USB input (USB-A) and a USB Type-C connector to plug into the console.
To connect everything, just insert the USB connector located at the end of the cable of your keyboard into the corresponding input of the adapter, then you must connect the latter to the Switch by inserting the Type-C connector into the appropriate input located at the bottom center of the console body. A no-brainer, right?
I recommend: since there are many USB-C adapters on the market, before buying one, check that it is equipped with OTG technology support and that it works with Switch (just read the comments of users who have already purchased the product).
How to connect wireless keyboard to Switch
As I mentioned earlier, you have the option of connecting a wireless keyboard to the Switch as well . In this case, for everything to work correctly, the keyboard that you can connect in this way must be equipped with a radio frequency wireless receiver : this, as a rule, is included in the same package as these devices (so we are talking about RF keyboards with USB receiver and not of Bluetooth keyboards, eye).
Again, the connection is made possible by the USB ports of the Dock or console. In the first case, you just need to simply insert the USB connector of the wireless receiver to one of the three inputs on the Dock, the same ones I told you about in the previous chapter .
Once you have made the connection in this way, if the receiver you are using has a button to activate the search for devices, just press it and then press the pairing button on your keyboard (usually located on the back of this ‘last). That’s it, seen how simple it is? Now you should be able to write anything you want easily on Switch (net of the limitations I told you about before).
To use a wireless keyboard when the Switch is in portable mode, you can also rely on a USB-C OTG adapter with USB-A input.
Insert the USB connector on the end of the wireless receiver into the standard USB port of the adapter, then insert the USB-C connector of the adapter into the corresponding input on the body of your Nintendo Switch and you’re done.
How to connect mouse and keyboard to Switch
Now maybe you would like to know how to connect mouse and keyboard to Switch without adapter ? There is no simpler thing. Just connect each of your devices’ USB connectors to the inputs on the Dock, as I showed you in the chapter on wired keyboard .
Switch is in fact compatible with many mice. You can also connect these devices to the Switch’s USB-C input via USB-C OTG adapter , as I explained to you earlier. This way you can use a mouse even when the console is in portable mode.
The problem, however, is that using a mouse on the Switch is practically useless. By doing a test yourself, in fact, you will notice that the device turns on and receives power from the console but cannot be used in games and, unlike the keyboard, not even in the system menus or in apps such as YouTube or Nintendo eShop. I know this is a bit disappointing, but there is still a way to use the mouse and keyboard not only in apps and menus but also in games, just like you would on PC.
You can use custom mouse and keyboard sets . This is a rather expensive solution, but if you want to play Nintendo exclusives like on PC, it might be worth it!
In addition, there are mouse and keyboard adapters that also allow you to play just as if you were using a computer. I inform you that these are still unofficial tools , so they may not work perfectly and may stop working following Switch firmware updates: be careful to first read the reviews and comments of those who have already purchased them. Then don’t say I didn’t warn you!
How to connect a keyboard to Switch Lite
So far I have talked to you about Nintendo Switch but you have Switch Lite disposition and would like to know if it is possible to connect a keyboard on your console too , right? Again, the answer is yes.
Not having this Switch model a Dock, you can follow the tips I gave you in the chapters dedicated to the standard Switch model and connect a keyboard to the console via a USB-C OTG adapter .
