Hi, I would like to connect my Nintendo Switch to a USB-C monitor. I have an LG Ultrafine 5K monitor with (only) USB-C connectors, which I use for my Mac. If I connect the switch from its USB-C port to the monitor, nothing happens. Why? Is it because of this specific monitor, or is it generally not possible to connect a USB-C monitor? (From USB-C to USB-C directly, so to speak)
@coopgarlic Maybe having a usb-c monitor isn't enough? Maybe the monitor also has to be compatible with the switch in order for the switch to output to a tv without a dock?
@coopgarlic The answer is essentially that you need the Switch dock to output a video signal from the Switch to a monitor or TV. The dock isn't just a fancy USB-C to HDMI converter, there's extra hardware in it without which the Switch won't output video.
There may be an adapter you can use to connect the Switch dock to your monitor, but directly connecting the console to the monitor is never going to work.
@coopgarlic I was looking at monitors a while back and did a bit of digging regarding connecting directly via USB. A lot of info online is conflicting - some say its possible while others say it's not (a bit like the comments here!) Most USB-C monitors don't work directly connected. One theory is that Switch doesn't output video via the port unless it detects a power source - i.e. it's in the dock. There may be some other stuff going on in the dock, but essentially it mostly doesn't work (as you have found).
There does seem to be some monitors that can do it - as far as I can remember they mostly had a second USB-C port and hardware to also charge the Switch while connected. The article that @WoomyNNYes links to above does show some images of the Switch connected directly, but there is a note in the article saying they tested them all connected to the dock, so doesn't really answer your question. There are a few examples in the comments where folk seem to have had success so might be worth reading through those. I didn't get a monitor in the end though, so can't really recommend anything.
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Topic: Connect Switch to USB-C Monitor
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