How to Use an iPad as a Screen for Nintendo Switch

The iPad can't play Nintendo games, but it can serve as a bigger screen while you're using the Switch

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This article explains how to use an iPad as a screen for your Nintendo Switch. Instructions apply to all models of Switch.

Apple added robust support for external USB cameras in iPadOS 17, which allows you to connect a USB video class (UVC) camera to your iPad without any adapters or drivers. It’s a plug-and-play solution designed to let you use higher-quality cameras for video conferencing, but the side effect is that it lets you effectively use the iPad as an external display for just about any device.

To use an iPad as a screen for a Nintendo Switch, you need an adapter that converts HDMI to USB using the UVC standard. When you use that configuration, the iPad thinks you’ve connected an external webcam and displays the converted HDMI signal. You can view this video input through FaceTime or with the help of a standalone app.

USB video capture devices that support UVC work for this.

Here’s how to display your Nintendo Switch on your iPad:

Connect an HDMI cable to your Switch Dock.

Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire

Place your Switch in the dock.

Connect the HDMI cable to an HDMI to USB-C adapter.

Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire

Connect the adapter to your iPad.

Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire

Turn on the Nintendo Switch.

Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire

Open FaceTime on your iPad, and video from your Switch will be displayed instead of your webcam.

Depending on your adapter, the image may be reversed, stretched, or not full screen. To fix those problems, use a standalone UVC display app instead.

While you can technically display your Nintendo Switch in FaceTime, that isn’t an ideal setup for actually playing games. For greater control over the image and full-screen gameplay without the FaceTime interface getting in the way, you can use an app capable of displaying video from a UVC-compliant device. For this example, we’ll use Capture Pro: UVC Viewer, available through TestFlight.

TestFlight is an app from Apple that lets you install beta apps before they’re available in the App Store.

Get TestFlight from the App Store if you don’t already have it.

Navigate to Capture Pro's UNC Viewer TestFlight page using a web browser on your iPad, and tap Start Testing.

Tap Accept.

Tap Install.

Tap Open.

Tap OK.

Tap OK.

Tap Next.

Tap Start Testing.

Connect your Switch to your iPad using an HDMI to USB-C adapter, as described in the previous section.

Until you make the connection, you'll see this no-signal message. If you continue seeing this message, make sure the Switch is on, and try removing it and replacing it in the dock.

If the display doesn’t look right, tap Settings.

If the display is reversed, tap Mirroring.

If the display isn’t rotated correctly, tap Rotation.

Select the correct rotation.

When the image looks right, tap X.

Your Nintendo Switch is now connected to your iPad and ready to play.

The different varieties of Nintendo Switch have slightly different sizes of screen. The basic version has a 6.2-inch display, while the OLED version's is 7 inches. The Switch Lite's screen is smaller, at 5.5 inches.

Unlike Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the Switch doesn't have a built-in capture option. You'll need to run it through a capture card or other device to save your game footage.

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