How to pair AirPods or Bluetooth devices with Nintendo Switch

Learn how to connect AirPods and other Bluetooth devices with your Nintendo Switch to enhance the audio aspect of your gaming experience.

Nintendo Switch has built-in speakers, but you won’t get to enjoy them much in loud environments. Thankfully, you can pair Bluetooth audio devices like AirPods with your Nintendo Switch by following the steps in this tutorial. The process should be similar for any pair of Bluetooth headphones or full-blown wireless speakers.

Pair AirPods or other Bluetooth audio devices with Nintendo Switch

1) Navigate to the Home Screen on your Nintendo Switch and select System Settings.

System Settings on a Nintendo Switch home screen.

2) Scroll down and select Bluetooth Audio on the left side.

Bluetooth Audio preference pane in Nintendo Switch settings app.

3) Select the Pair Device option to the right.

Nintendo Switch pair Bluetooth device setting.

Your Nintendo Switch will begin searching for nearby Bluetooth devices.

Nintendo Switch searches for nearby Bluetooth audio devices.

4) Put your Bluetooth audio device into pairing mode.

AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3: Open the charging case with both pods inside and double-tap the front of the case so the status light flashes white. Your AirPods are now in pairing mode.
Older AirPods: Open the charging case with both pods inside and press the physical setup button at the back of the case. The case light will flash white, signifying it’s in pairing mode.

AirPods setup button on new and old models

Other Bluetooth devices: Look for a pairing button and press and hold it for a few seconds to enter pairing mode (the exact process may vary by device).

5) When the Switch finds your Bluetooth device, select it and press the A button.

Note: The console will begin connecting to your AirPods.

Nintendo Switch begins pairing with Bluetooth audio device.

6) When you see a message confirming successful pairing, select the OK option and press the A button.

Nintendo Switch successfully pairs with Bluetooth audio device.

The Bluetooth audio device should appear in the paired devices list on your Nintendo Switch.

AirPods Pro 2 in Nintendo Switch's paired Bluetooth audio device list.

AirPods make a perfect match for your Nintendo Switch

Using Bluetooth headphones like AirPods boosts the gaming experience on consoles like Nintendo Switch when you want to isolate yourself from noisy environments and fully enjoy gaming. If you’ve used your AirPods with Bluetooth headphones, write about your experience in the comments.

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