How To Stream Your Nintendo Switch To Discord

Gaming is always more fun with friends. If you want to stream your Nintendo Switch gameplay to your buddies on Discord, this comprehensive guide will show you exactly how to set that up.

What You‘ll Need

Streaming your Switch to Discord requires connecting your console to a computer with streaming software. Here‘s the basic equipment you‘ll need:

Nintendo Switch: The console you want to stream from.
Capture Card: A device that connects the Switch‘s output signal to a computer. Some popular options are Elgato HD60 S+ and AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus.
Computer: A Windows PC or laptop with an available USB port and HDMI input. This will run your streaming software.
HDMI Cable: Connects the Switch dock to the capture card.
Ethernet Cable (optional but recommended): For connecting your Switch dock to your router via ethernet for maximum stability.

Here‘s how all the connections work:

HDMI > Ethernet > Capture Card > USB > Laptop>

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Follow these steps to get your Switch feed streaming directly into a Discord voice channel:

1. Connect the Hardware

First, connect your Switch to your capture card:

Dock your Switch into the official dock.
Use a HDMI cable to connect the dock‘s HDMI output to the HDMI input on your capture card.
(Optional) Use an Ethernet cable to connect the dock directly to your router for a more stable network connection during streaming.

Next, connect the capture card to your streaming computer:

Connect the capture card to your Windows PC/laptop using the included USB cable.

Your Switch video output is now being sent to your streaming computer via the capture card.

2. Install Streaming Software

You‘ll need streaming software on your Windows PC that can interface with the video signal from the capture card.

Some top options to consider:

OBS Studio

Open source and 100% free
Full-featured with many customization options
Somewhat complex for beginners

Streamlabs OBS

Based on OBS but more user-friendly
Additional features like chat integration and themes
Easy cloud syncing between multiple computers

XSplit

More optimized for specific game capture
Built-in integration with platforms like Twitch
14-day free trial, then paid subscription

Install your preferred streaming software and set it up with your capture card video input. Most cards come with their own drivers and plugins to easily add them as a source in apps like OBS.

For example, with an Elgato HD60 S+ the setup is seamless in Streamlabs OBS:

Refer to your capture card and streaming software documentation for the exact setup steps. The key is adding your capture card feed into the app as an input source.

3. Configure Discord Streaming

With your Switch video feed now running through your streaming software, it‘s time to pipe that feed directly into a Discord voice channel.

Launch Discord on your streaming computer
Join the Discord server where you want to stream
Hop into any voice channel in that server
Click the "Go Live" button at the bottom of the voice channel (it looks like a camera)
Select "Screen" as your video source in the pop-up prompt
Pick your streaming software program (like OBS or Streamlabs) as the specific source
Your Discord profile image will now show that you‘re live!

Anyone in that voice channel can now watch your broadcast directly in Discord. They‘ll hear your voice chat audio too.

Configure your streaming software however you like, adding graphics, alerts, etc. Everything gets sent straight into Discord!

4. Fine-Tune Your Stream

Now that your base streaming setup is complete, here are some tips for optimizing quality:

Adjust Bitrate Settings

Higher bitrate = better quality but more data usage
3,500 – 6,000 Kbps is a good target range
Use Speedtest.net to check your actual upload speeds

Minimize Input Lag

Turn off Vsync and Enable Low Latency options in OBS
Tweak capture card processing settings
Use Game Mode on Windows and Game Mode on your display

Improve Stability

Connect your Switch with ethernet for better networking
Close excess background programs on your PC
If wifi is required, position your Switch dock closer to the router

Enhance Video Quality

Enable HDR passthrough if your capture device supports it
Bump capture resolution up to 1440p or 4K if possible
Use Lanczos resampling for sharpest downscaling

Streaming Without a Capture Card

Capture cards provide the best, most flexible streaming experience – but you can still stream to Discord without one.

Here are a couple options:

Use the Xbox App

Connect your Switch to an Xbox One console. Then stream from your Xbox using the built-in sharing features of the Xbox app.

Point a Camera at Your TV

Set up a camera on a tripod, point it at your TV screen, and use that video feed as a webcam input source in OBS. Quality won‘t be as high but still functional!

Important Restrictions

Before you dive into streaming, be aware of certain restrictions imposed by Nintendo and Discord:

Nintendo actively scans for and issues copyright strikes against uploads of gameplay footage. Streaming privately to friends in Discord directly is generally safe but public streaming can get your channel shut down.
Discord limits Go Live streams to only people explicitly on your Friends list. So random people can‘t watch your stream sniped from public servers.

So stick to private streams only shared with people you trust!

Let‘s Game!

Connecting your Nintendo Switch to Discord for live streaming takes a bit of work but pays off with a super fun gaming experience. Now all your chats with friends can be complemented by a live feed of the action!

Have your own tips or tricks for streaming Switch games to Discord? Share your expertise with the community. And most importantly – good luck, have fun, and stream responsibly!