How to Set up Your Switch Quickly

Congratulations on your new acquisition of a brand new game console! The Nintendo Switch is fairly easy to setup compared to other consoles, with the Switch Lite only requiring a few steps and the standard Nintendo Switch requiring a bit more work to get it all setup. We’ll go over the details on what you’ve absolutely got to do to get yourself in the game.

Switch Lite

For the Switch Lite you’ll get just the console, charging cable and depending on region a charging plug. The only thing you’ll need to do to get setup is to charge your Switch. Once it turns on, follow the on-screen prompts to go through the setup. To get the most of your console, you’ll want to be in an area with available wifi.

Switch OLED / Regular Switch

The regular Nintendo Switch has a few more steps. You’ll get in the box the power adapter (region dependent), the charging cable, the base console, two joycons, joycon straps, an HDMI cable and a dock.

If you’re setting it up with a TV you’ll want to go in and plug the HDMI cable into the TV and then into the dock. You’ll plug the power adapter into an outlet, the charging cable to the adapter and then into the dock. Then you’ll attach the joycons to the main unit and then place that unit directly on the dock for it to begin charging.

You’ll want to let it charge a bit (so the joycons have power) before you go through setup. It may be charged a bit from the factory, but best let it get about 30 minutes to an hour of charge in before you get started. Patience will pay off by rewarding you with considerably more time to go through setup without the joycons dying.

The unit itself, once in the dock, will operate off the power and not need the battery but the joycons will need to be charged and that can only be acomplished through the Switch (or third party charging tools).

If you aren’t using a TV or the dock, then you can charge the switch directly with the included USB-C charging cable. You can affix the joycons and not worry about them having power while the Switch is plugged in and can get to setting everything up right away.

No matter how you configure the Switch, you’ll need to go through the on-screen setup instructions to really get started.

Switch Games

One thing to note to play the Switch is that you’ll need some games to play it with. These can either be physical copies of the games themselves or it can be games downloaded from the eShop. Either way, you’ll want to make sure you have some games to play after your setup!