The Nintendo Switch is still fairly new as the console only launched in 2017. With each day more-and-more gamers are adopting the system and we’re sure that with the holiday season units will be flying from store shelves. If you’re a new adopter to the console platform or even if you owned a system since the day it launched, there are a few useful tricks and tips that we can share for you to take advantage of.
Take a look at our top ten picks down below and as always, keep this list bookmarked. We’ll continue to add new useful tips and tricks for the console after Nintendo continues to send out updates for the platform. Likewise, feel free to share some of your own tips and tricks by leaving us a comment.
Turn Your Television On With Console
Turning on your television from a console is nothing news. In fact, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles both allow users to power up their television to get ready to play a video game right away. This is actually a pretty handy feature that I think most don’t consider.
With that said the Nintendo Switch doesn’t fall behind with this feature as the console hybrid also allows players to turn on their television which can be activated within the Nintendo Switch settings. If your television is capable then all you need to do is head into the TV Settings menu. From there, simply activate Match TV Power State.
“When connected to the TV, turning on the console/exiting sleep mode will turn on the TV. Turning off the TV will put the console in sleep mode.”
If you’re a gamer that normally uses the Nintendo Switch docked then you’ll want to take advantage of this setting especially if you misplace your TV remote.
Pair Your Joy-Cons To Android / PC
When it comes to playing some of the big name ports made available on mobile devices then it can be a bit of a challenge to use the display controls. Personally I feel that using a controller offers a better overall experience. This generation of consoles has really helped in that regard as gamers could sync up devices like Sony’s DualShock 4 to devices like an Android smartphone.
However, you may find that controllers like the DualShock 4 to be a bit cumbersome to carry around. What’s not cumbersome is the size of the Joy-Cons packed with the Nintendo Switch. These units are able to be paired to Android devices and even a PC through Bluetooth.
Change Your Region
Luckily the Nintendo Switch is region-free which means the physical copies of the game are not locked from being played outside of the market it initially released. However, gamers can ultimately decide to change their region freely.
Doing so can change the box art displayed on your console. However, a bigger reason is if you decide to purchase a game digitally prior to when it releases in your market. Likewise, this would give you the full experience as developers intended when the game launches with original voice acting and scenes.
In order to change the region settings for a console, you’ll need to head into the System settings menu and then select Region.
Dark Menu Settings
Bright white lights are not easy on the eyes, especially at night when you decide to browse an application or website. Thankfully more and more developers are tossing in a feature known as Dark Mode. This essentially turns the backgrounds from a bright white color to a dark contrast.
Luckily the Nintendo Switch also comes packed with this feature which you can access through the Themes settings menu. Much like we made mention about the mode in general, the Dark Mode for the Nintendo Switch will turn the backgrounds of your menu settings to a dark black color.
Hard Reset / Maintenance Mode
If you find yourself with a frozen Nintendo Switch then oftentimes you can just hold down the power button for about fifteen to thirty seconds before it will perform a hard reset. We personally haven’t come across too many reports of units freezing up but just like with any smartphone or tablet, you’ll probably come across a few instances where the unit may lock up.
However, outside of just performing a hard reset users can also access what is known as the Maintenance Mode. Within this mode, users can format their console to erase everything from their unit or initialize the Nintendo Switch while saving content on the microSD Card. In order to access the Maintenance Mode, the user will need to hold down the power button and proceed to hold down both volume buttons when the Nintendo logo loads. Depending on if you used a parental pin you may have to input the code to access most of these features.
Use External Batteries
The Nintendo Switch is a popular device to purchase if you’re a gamer that is often traveling for business or leisure. Because this hybrid console allows users to take their Nintendo Switch on-the-go gamers may find their system quickly being drained so it’s always a good idea to pack your power cable to charge up when possible. However, another useful item to pick up is external battery packs as the Nintendo Switch can connect and charge from an external pack.
This works out rather seamlessly as the Nintendo Switch will instantly start charging up when you connect a battery pack to the console. Of course, depending on the battery pack will determine just how often gamers can charge up the Nintendo Switch. Essentially, the bigger your external battery pack the longer you’ll be able to keep playing the console. However, you will want to do some research in order to determine if the battery pack is suitable for the console.
There are some dedicated battery packs made specifically for the Nintendo Switch as well. You’ll find brands such as Nyko who creates battery packs that easily connect to the console so you’re not hauling around a separate brick.
Skip Select Screen Startup
This is another useful feature if you’re looking to start up a game without the hassle of dealing with unwanted menus. If you wish to bypass the user-selection screen when you start up a game then make your way over into the settings menu. Gamers will have to navigate to the Users settings selection where you’ll come across the Skip Selection Screen option. However, this is only useful if you only have one profile attached to the Nintendo Switch unit.
Find Lost Joy-Cons
When Nintendo fully unveiled the Nintendo Switch it was pretty clear that there will be a few instances in which gamers would misplace the Joy-Cons. Nintendo was relatively quick to provide a solution when they delivered an update to the console in which gamers could easily locate where the missing Joy-Cons disappeared to straight from their console.
Your Joy-Cons will need to have a charge in order for this to work. With that said if your controllers are charged then you will just need to head into the Controllers menu from the Nintendo Switch and then select Find Controllers. Depending on the controller selected, the Nintendo Switch will cause the Joy-Con to start vibrating where you can then try to pinpoint where the noise is coming from.
Transfer Save Data
If you’re looking to transfer your data onto a new Nintendo Switch device then it will be relatively easy to manage. However, there will be a few prerequisites before the transfer can take place. Both units must be connected online and within range of each other likewise, they should both have a system menu version of at least 4.0.0.
Once the requirements are met then users can transfer over all of their save data such as Nintendo eShop purchases and user information. To start this process, the original Nintendo Switch unit must go into the Users settings menu then select Transfer Your User and Save Data while selecting it as the Source console.
Afterwards, head to the new unit and do the same but instead mark it as the Target console. Follow the prompt instructions displayed to complete the process.
Parental Controls
At the time of writing this list school will soon be starting up. As a result, the gameplay sessions are likely winding down and as a parent, you can have a better control over how much your child spend on the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo has incorporated an easy to navigate parental control system through the use of a mobile application for iOS and Android. This system will give parents the ability to determine just how much time a child can spend playing a game, what video games they deem appropriate and also restrict any other features available on the console.
This will require a parental pin code so we suggest writing it down to avoid having to send out a parental pin reset. If the pin is forgotten then you can request a pin reset but this will mean filling out a form and spending $0.50 on your credit card so Nintendo is assured that the user requesting a pin reset is an adult.
