If you’d like to enjoy your Switch games with the accuracy of a mouse and keyboard, there are two ways you can do so. Let’s dive in.
How Can I Use a Keyboard and Mouse With My Nintendo Switch?
Other consoles, such as the PS5, have keyboard and mouse support for gaming. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch does not have that luxury. You can connect a regular PC keyboard and mouse to your Nintendo Switch, but you can only use the keyboard to enter text.
Without any directional input from the keyboard, you can only aim with a mouse on its own. So, unfortunately, you are unable to use a regular mouse and keyboard combo to play games on your Switch like you can on a PC.
There are, however, two other ways you can start playing games on your Nintendo Switch with a keyboard and mouse. You can do this by using an adaptor or a Bluetooth receiver.
To do this, you will require products specifically designed to play games on consoles. While a Bluetooth receiver may be the easiest way to start gaming with your keyboard and mouse, they are both relatively easy to set up.
Connect a Keyboard and Mouse to Your Nintendo Switch With a Bluetooth Receiver
Several products on the market will allow you to use a Bluetooth dongle to connect a wireless keyboard and mouse to your Nintendo Switch.
These products work by providing you with a keyboard and mouse combo designed to work like a controller. The advantage of these products is that they are ready to go whenever you are, requiring very little set-up with no outside apps required.
They can also be more compact than other keyboards since they’re designed with console gaming in mind. Products like the GameSir VX Aimswitch (as pictured above) are about half the size of a regular keyboard, providing you with only the buttons you will need to use while gaming. This makes for a more compact keyboard controller.
Connect a Keyboard and Mouse to Your Nintendo Switch Using an Adaptor
An adaptor works slightly differently to connect a keyboard and mouse to your Nintendo Switch. Rather than simply receiving a signal like a Bluetooth receiver, an adaptor is more like a hub for all of your inputs.
Products like the IOGEAR KeyMander 2 Adaptor (as pictured above) operate with one of these adaptors to connect your keyboard and mouse to your Nintendo Switch.
The attraction to these sorts of adaptors is that they allow you to connect any keyboard and mouse you want to your system. This means that you can use products that you might already own. It also gives you the flexibility to decide whether or not you want to game wirelessly. If you do, it’s easy as finding a great wireless mouse and keyboard and plugging their receivers into the adaptor.
These types of keyboard and mouse adaptors may require an app that you have to download to operate them. This can be more difficult to set up, but they are more advantageous in the long run and give you more control over your set-up. Once you learn how to operate the app, you are free to change button layouts and customize your inputs to suit your needs.
Improve Your Aim With a Keyboard and Mouse on Your Nintendo Switch
Gaming competitively requires precise aiming, especially in first-person shooters. Even with aim assist, console controllers don’t compare to the precision you get from a keyboard and mouse. Connecting a keyboard and mouse to your Nintendo Switch may require a few more steps, but it is worth it to up your game.
