Video: How to Use an iPad as a Screen for Your Nintendo Switch - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Video: How to Use an iPad as a Screen for Your Nintendo Switch

If you're on the go and want to play your Nintendo Switch on a larger display than the tiny 6-inch to 7-inch screen that is built into the console, you're in luck if you have a USB-C iPad. With an app and a couple of accessories, you can use your ‌iPad‌ as your Switch display, as MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera demonstrates in his latest video.


Using an ‌iPad‌ for a Nintendo Switch was shown off on TikTok recently, and we thought it was a neat idea going under the radar. Though people have mostly demoed a Switch, it works with any console.

You'll need a USB-C ‌iPad‌ running iPadOS 17 for this to work. The Lightning models can't support the feature because of a specific dongle required. iPadOS 17 is expected to launch to the public next month, but there is a public beta available if you want to test it out right now.

Along with a USB-C ‌iPad‌, you're also going to need a USB-C video capture card, which is around $20. It's basically an HDMI to USB-C adapter for the ‌iPad‌ that allows it to hook up to the Switch. After that, you need to install an app. Since this is new iPadOS 17 functionality, few apps are available, but Capture Pro is available via TestFlight and it's what we used for the video. From there, you just need the Switch and an HDMI cable, and Dan demos the whole setup process in the video.

Have you tried using an ‌iPad‌ as a display for a console? Let us know in the comments below.

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Reportedly Starts With 256GB of Storage

Thursday September 3, 2026 9:22 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro has double the base storage compared to the iPhone 16 Pro, there will apparently be no further increase this year. Taiwanese research firm TrendForce today again reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models will start with 256GB of storage, like the iPhone 17 Pro models. Minimum storage capacities by model:iPhone 16 Pro: 128GB iPhone 17 Pro: 256GB iPhone 18 Pro...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Thursday September 3, 2026 3:41 am PDT by
Less than a week before Apple debuts new iPhone 18 Pro models, research firm TrendForce has estimated the prices of the devices based on the latest hardware cost environment. TrendForce's price estimates compared to last year's models look like this: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 17 Pro $1,099 iPhone 18 Pro $...
iPhone Handoff Feature

iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature

Wednesday September 2, 2026 12:35 pm PDT by
Apple has added a new "iPhone Handoff" feature to iOS 27 that will allow you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device. This functionality was briefly mentioned during the WWDC 2026 keynote in June, on a slide that listed hundreds of new features coming in iOS 27 and corresponding software updates, but Apple never shared any further details at the time. ...

Top Rated Comments

tweaknmod Avatar
40 months ago

who would be this desperate? anyone going through this effort probably has video game addiction...
Fiddling with tech, and trying to use it all in strange and fun combinations is something like a hobby of mine.

And I’m willing to bet it’s the same for a lot of people on this forum.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
40 months ago
Neat trick, but you're definitely adding many frames of input lag.

Probably fine for casual play though.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
40 months ago
Input lag central. Terrible idea.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
40 months ago
I’ve used this trick recently for both setting up a Raspberry Pi and as an external focusing monitor for my DSLR.

(However, I was using FaceTime as the only app to display camera input, so the apps mentioned will be quite useful)

I think one of these dongles will quickly become a standard part of most people’s IT kit - basically having a portable HDMI monitor with you everywhere you go is awesome!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cateye Avatar
40 months ago

Fiddling with tech, and trying to use it all in strange and fun combinations is something like a hobby of mine.

And I’m willing to bet it’s the same for a lot of people on this forum.
Agreed. Half the joy of technology is bending it in ways it wasn't intended. That's how you arrive at new and interesting use-cases beyond what some self-absorbed company like Apple (or Nintendo, for that matter) dictates its products should be used for.

As others have suggested, the real killer app of a setup like this is being able to spin up using an iPad as a monitor in situations where having a dedicated monitor is impractical or an unnecessary extra expense (I.T. crash cart, server rooms, headless device configuration, etc.) Hopefully over time the software/hardware mix becomes more stable and performant.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
40 months ago
Nintendo should sell a solution to connect the Switch directly to iPad with USB-C without having to convert to HDMI.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)