What you need

  • A Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
  • A USB capture card that macOS sees as a camera (UVC). Nearly every card sold for consoles is one. See the tested cards.
  • The Switch dock and its HDMI cable. The Switch Lite has no video output, so no screen can show it.
  • A USB 3 port on the Mac itself, no hub.

Connect it

  1. Put the Switch or Switch 2 in its dock.
  2. Connect the dock's HDMI out to the capture card's HDMI in.
  3. Plug the card into a USB 3 port on the Mac.
  4. Open plugview. It finds the card, its sound and the smoothest mode, and plays.

Order does not matter: open plugview first and it waits for the signal. As an app, it can also open by itself whenever the card is plugged in.

Console settings

Switch games are not copy protected, so there is nothing to turn off. Two settings help the picture:

  • TV resolutionSystem SettingsTV OutputTV ResolutionAutomatic or 1080p

    Works with almost every card.

  • RGB rangeSystem SettingsTV OutputRGB RangeLimited, then Full

    If blacks look gray or colors washed out. Still off? Turn on Full-range colors in plugview's resolution menu.

Black screen or no sound

  • Check the dock has power and the Switch shows the TV icon when docked.
  • Run plugview --list: the card must appear under video devices. If not, try another USB port or cable.
  • No sound: allow plugview in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone. To macOS the card's sound is a microphone; plugview never uses your Mac's own.
  • Another app using the card (OBS, Zoom, QuickTime) blocks it. Close that app.

More fixes in the guide.

Lowest latency

  • Wired sound: the Mac speakers or wired headphones. Bluetooth adds 150 ms or more.
  • 1080p at 60 fps feels faster than 4K at 30, and plugview picks it when the card offers it.
  • Full screen with F, on a display at 60 or 120 Hz.
  • Run plugview --measure for your real frame rate and delay.

Questions

Can I play the Switch on a MacBook without a capture card?
No. Mac HDMI ports are outputs only, and a USB-C cable from the dock does not carry video into a Mac. A capture card turns the Switch's HDMI into a camera the Mac can show.
Does it work with the Switch 2?
Yes, through its dock's HDMI out, the same way. The card decides the top resolution and frame rate.
Can I record or stream?
plugview is for playing. It saves screenshots with S; for recording or streaming today, use OBS. See plugview vs OBS.