Are you playing Nintendo Switch? If yes, what games are you playing these days? I have this console, and I cannot stop playing Breath of the Wild. It’s awesome! But there is a way for me to share my Nintendo Switch gameplay on YouTube. This way, I can show more people my gameplay and maybe get some more friends on the platform.
Have you been looking for a way to share your Nintendo Switch gameplays with friends? Maybe you have a huge following on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and you want to share your gameplays with your fans and followers.
The good news is that the Nintendo Switch console allows you to take screenshots or save a 30 seconds video clip. Sharing your gameplay with your friends can be exciting – especially if you have reached a milestone. If you love playing Nintendo Switch games, there are a couple of ways that you can show off your playthroughs. If you have an active YouTube channel, you can upload gameplays and record yourself talking about the game.
This article will explain how you can share your Nintendo Switch gameplay online without a capture card. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks, you can also use this guide to share your game activity online.
Table of Contents
How Does the Nintendo Switch Gameplay Screenshot and Video Capture Work?
There are two main ways to capture your gameplay on the Nintendo Switch console. They are:
Screenshot.
Video capture.
You can take a screenshot and record a 30-second video clip of your activity on the screen. Moreover, screenshots and video clips can be posted on your social media.
What are the Nintendo Switch Games That Support Screenshot and Video Capture Sharing?
From what I have seen, all Nintendo Switch and third-party games provide support for screenshots and video capture on the switch. So, if you are playing a game on the Nintendo Switch right now, you can be sure to perform a screenshot and video capture.
What Do I Need To Share My Nintendo Switch Gameplay Online?
Now that you know that you can share your gameplay on the Nintendo Switch Lite and the Nintendo Switch console, you may have observed that the Switch Album software only allows you to share your gameplays on Twitter and Facebook.
That means you can’t share your game pictures and videos on your WhatsApp status, TikTok, Instagram, or anywhere online. Moreover, you may find out that the Nintendo Switch uploads pictures of low quality, and this can be annoying because you would want your pictures to look sharp and crisp.
Here is the solution. If you want to share pictures and videos without using the Nintendo album app, you need a micro SD card alongside a device that can read them. Typically, an SD card is equipped with SD “docks” that fit into SD card-sized ports. This is great for you, especially if you own a PC or have a laptop around you.
If you don’t know where to insert the micro SD card in the Nintendo Switch, raise the leg on the back of the console, and you should find the micro SD card slot underneath.
How To Take a Screenshot on Your Nintendo Switch
Anyone can take a screenshot with their Nintendo Switch consoles as this process is as easy as ABC. When you see something worthy of being captured during your gaming sessions, press the Capture button on your Switch controller.
If you are using a Joy-Con, the button to press is the square button beneath the arrow buttons. Also, if you are using a Pro controller, the square button underneath the minus button is the button to press to take a screenshot.
When you press the button, you’ll hear a shutter sound, which means that the Nintendo Switch has taken a screenshot. The screenshot will be saved automatically in the Album app. From there, you can share it directly on Facebook and Twitter. There is a workaround for those who wish to share it online on forums, groups, and other online places.
How To Share Nintendo Switch Gameplays
Tapping the capture button on the left Joy-Con controller on your Nintendo Switch will create a screenshot. If you want to make a video record of your gameplay, you must hold the capture button for a few seconds.
You will be notified if your console is recording the gameplay because the “Saving” icon will be shown to you in the upper-left area of your screen. In addition, you will receive a message that tells you your video clip has been saved.
How To View Captured Gameplay Clips
All your screenshots and video clips are automatically stored in the Album folder. So, if you want the saved media, open the Album app on the Home screen. Another thing you would want to keep in mind is that the screenshots and video clips are saved together. However, the videos are inscribed with “30 sec” in the lower-right area of the icon.
If you wish to see only your video clips, press the Y button and choose Videos only. Once your select a video clip, your Switch should play it automatically.
How To Retrieve Screenshots From Your Nintendo Switch
Turn it off when you finish playing a game on your Nintendo Switch console. Most importantly, you should know that putting your console in Sleep Mode is different from turning it off. Hold the power button to switch off your console, select Power Options, and Turn Off.
When you turn off your Nintendo Switch, remove the micro SD card from your console and plug it into your PC. To see the contents of the SD card, open it up in the file explorer app, then go to Nintendo and select Album.
Look for the folder with the current year, then click on the folder with the current month and date. If you took a screenshot on December 24, 2022, for instance, you’ll go to Album>2022>12>24.
If you’ve made several screenshots today, you will see many images in the folder. The names for the files are generated automatically. So, you may have to check them manually and carefully to find the appropriate one to upload. Once you find your preferred screenshot, you can copy the file on your desktop or in a folder on your computer.
How To Share The Preferred Image
Now that you have found the perfect screenshot, you may wonder how to share the image online. Thankfully, there is a site where you can upload pictures for free and share them with your friends.
One of the websites to share your pictures for free is Imgur. After uploading the image, you can share the image for people to see.
How To Record Videos On Your Nintendo Switch
At the time of writing, only four games support video recording on the Nintendo Switch. Games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, Breath of the Wild, and Splatoon 2 allow you to record videos in-game.
If you wish to make a video record outside these games, you may have to wait till Nintendo provides support for it. Also, if you want to record a gameplay video for the four games mentioned above, you must hold down the Capture button. After doing this, the Switch will make a record of the last 30 seconds of gameplay.
How To Edit or Trim Your Video Record
Let’s say you want to change the start or end part of your video; you can easily trim the video using the built-in editor. You will be provided with an editor to tweak the video to your taste. Go to the Album app and select the video you wish to edit. While viewing the video clip, pressing the A button will bring up the Editing and Posting option. Now, select Trim and press the A button.
If you want to trim the video, go to the start portion of the video that you want to remove and press the A button. Also, repeat the same process if you wish to edit the video’s end portion. When you are done, press the A button to save the edited clip.
You should keep in mind that the editor allows you to only trim video clips and not join clips. Hence, you can edit only the start and end portions of the clip and nothing more. After you must have edited the clip, the Nintendo Switch saves two versions of the video – the original file and the edited version. So, if you don’t like the outcome of the edited version, you can always use the original copy.
How To Retrieve Your Nintendo Switch Videos
Retrieving videos on the Nintendo Switch is similar to retrieving pictures. To retrieve videos, remove the SD card from the console, plug it into your laptop, open the Album folder, and search for the folder with the current date. The videos are in .MP4 format, which is suitable for sharing.
How To Share Your Nintendo Switch Video
Sharing videos from your Nintendo Switch isn’t as easy as sharing images; it’s tricky but possible. If you want to make a GIF version of the gameplay, you can use a service like Gfycat. However, this will erase the sound and affect the quality of the video. If you wish to retain the quality and sound of the entire video, you can upload and host the gameplay video on Streamable.
How To Save Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Replays
Although we previously stated that video recording only works for four games (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, Breath of the Wild, and Splatoon 2), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an exception.
If SSBU is one of your favorite games on the Switch, there’s a way for you to share your replays. Firstly, you need to save a reply, and this can be done at the end of a game when the result cards are displayed for each player.
Press the A button once to go to the statistics page. After then, press the Y button. When you do this, the game will ask you if you wish to save a reply. Reply with yes, and a full replay of the game you’ve just played will be saved.
How To Edit Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Replay Videos
Editing the video is unnecessary if you wish to share the entire match. However, if you want to share a snippet of the game, you may use Smash’s video editing tools.
All you need to do is go to Vault, select Replays, and then Edit Video.
How To Share SSBU Replay Videos
Sharing the replay video is just the way you do when retrieving and sharing screenshots from your Nintendo Switch. Turn off the Switch, remove the micro SD card, and plug it into your computer. When you get to the file manager in the SD card, search for the Album folder, then go into Extra rather than looking into the folders named after the current year.
Now, open the folder that is composed of both numbers and letters. At this point, you will see a folder named with the current year. Open that folder and search for your recent files. When you find the chosen replay video, you can share it with your friends online.
How To Convert Replays Into Videos
Unfortunately, sharing the replay as-is on your social media networks is impossible. Smash replays serve as instructions for the game to remake your match. What you need to do is to convert it into a video for it to become shareable.
To make this possible, go to the game’s main menu and select Vault, Replays, and Replay Data. Find the replay you wish to share and select the Convert to Video option. Now, the replay player will appear on your screen. Press Plus on your controller to start recording your video. Now, wait for the replay to play out. Once that is done, a copy of your video will be made available for you to share.
How To Take a Screenshot From a Saved Video Clip
If you missed a part in the video and you want to make a screenshot, here are the steps to do it:
Go to the Home screen.
Select Album app.
Select All Screenshots and Videos.
Choose a video you wish to edit (The video playback will start once the video is selected).
You can pause the video by pressing the Y button.
Select the Editing and Posting option.
Now, select Save as Screenshot.
Which Social Media Websites Does The Nintendo Switch Support?
I know you are excited to share screenshots or clips from your in-game activity with your friends. Presently, the Nintendo Switch console supports two social media networks: Facebook and Twitter.
If you have a Nintendo account, ensure that your social media accounts are linked to it before sharing your video clips.
To share or post a screenshot, follow the steps below:
Go to the Home screen.
Select Album app.
Select a screenshot or video clip.
Press the A button to start Editing and Posting.
Select Post.
Select the profile you wish to share or upload the media file if you have multiple profiles.
How To Record Gameplays Using a Capture Card
If you want to record extended and longer Nintendo Switch gameplays or stream your games and share them online, one of the things you will need is a capture card. This guide can find the best capture cards for your Nintendo Switch console.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to capture your screens on a PC, you’re ready to share them online. The simplest route for any game is to just post to Twitter or Facebook, but there are other methods.
Sharing Nintendo Switch gameplay is easy but can be complicated if you don’t know your way around it. We have spent a lot of time explaining how to share screenshots and video clips of your Nintendo Switch gameplays. We also want to thank you for your patience in coming this far.
By following this guide, you can also take and share screenshots from your Nintendo Switch whenever you want. I know you can’t wait to showcase your gaming skills and start sharing your Nintendo Switch gameplay with your friends. You can consider looking at the best Nintendo Switch games right now and the best indie games for Nintendo Switch.
While this guide will allow you to share your gameplay with the world, remember to consider the copyright laws and Nintendo’s terms of use. If possible, it’s best not to share videos with copyrighted music or footage included in your video. However, make sure to credit the artist if you play their music throughout your video. And as always, have fun gaming!
Roger Mark is a freaky gamer who has been involved in the gaming industry for more than a decade, mostly testing out hundreds of gaming consoles and devices including gaming mice, headphones, earbuds, controllers, speakers, chairs, desks, and TVs. After getting a massive amount of information about gaming gadgets, Roger deemed it wise to share it with others too. His articles are in-depth and simple to understand. When he is not writing, there is a 99% chance that he's playing video games or watching a blockbuster movie.
