Switch Lite Switch Comparison
Image: Nintendo Life

So you've got yourself a lovely new Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED or Switch Lite and don't know how to even begin setting it upward? You lot've come up to the right place!

If y'all're planning to give the Switch equally a vacation souvenir, Nintendo advises that yous to complete ready before Christmas in society to avoid decorated servers which might touch Nintendo Account creation and eShop admission.

In this beginner's guide, nosotros're going to break downwards all of the things you should do first to assistance you get set upwardly. That includes setting up a bunch of new accounts, getting the settings right and grabbing any essential accessories to help get the about out of your shiny new Switch, Switch Lite or Switch OLED Model.

Create a user profile

You should be prompted to do this as soon as you lot plough your Switch on for the kickoff fourth dimension but we'll include the steps beneath all the aforementioned:

  1. Select an icon – this can be a Mii or your favourite Nintendo graphic symbol. Don't panic, you can alter all of this later.
  2. Select the background color.
  3. Enter your nickname – this tin can be anything and you can change it later.
  4. Sign in to your Nintendo Account to link it to the Switch, or follow our instructions below if you don't take a Nintendo Account nonetheless.

Beginning things first, permit's set up up a Nintendo Account, which will allow you to purchase some lovely digital games on your new Switch and get shiny rewards for doing so!

You tin do this on the Switch itself, and we've plonked the instructions below:

  1. Kicking up the eShop by hitting 'A' on the orange purse icon on the main carte du jour of your Switch.
  2. Select the 'User Profile' that you want to attach your Nintendo Account to.
  3. Striking 'Create Account'.
  4. Hit 'Send account-cosmos instructions via email'.
  5. Fill in your email accost.
  6. At present, open the email you should have received on your laptop/phone/tablet.
  7. Follow the link in the email and hit 'An account for myself' (unless you are, in fact, creating ane for a child).
  8. Make full in your personal information and hit 'Submit'.
  9. You should receive a five digit code that you are advised to fill in on your Switch. If you followed the instructions up to footstep four correctly earlier, your Switch should be asking for the lawmaking. Fill it in and hitting 'OK'.
  10. Select how ofttimes you'd like to fill up in your password and you're expert to become! You can now purchase games on the Nintendo Switch eShop.

Bought the Switch / Switch OLED / Switch Lite for a child? Then gear up parental controls

If you bought a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite for a young kid, you tin can gear up parental controls to protect them from adult content and put limits on Switch play time.

There are two different options: you tin can restrict specific features on the console itself or control their Switch directly from your smart device using the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. This allows you to set play time limits and restrict features, and you'll get activeness notifications to aid you keep track of their playing schedule. Hither's how to set it up in steps:

  1. Choose 'System Settings' on the home screen.
  2. Scroll down to 'Parental Controls'
  3. Select whether to 'Use Your Smart Device' or 'Use this Panel'
  4. Select the restriction level. Y'all tin can either chose a setting that's already made up, similar teen, pre-teen, or child, or fix up a completely custom setting.
  5. For the latter, yous can restrict software by age, your kid's power to mail to social media accounts, and their ability to communicate with others.
  6. If yous'd rather utilize the app, download information technology from the App Shop or Google Play (information technology's called 'Nintendo Switch Parental Controls' so search for that).
  7. Boot information technology upward and sign into your Nintendo Account.
  8. You lot'll receive a registration code, which y'all now accept to fill in on your Switch. Repeat steps ane to three in a higher place and fill it in when prompted.
  9. Now just utilize the app to fix parental controls. Y'all can set a daily play limit, use pre-made settings or custom settings for restrictions, and monitor their activity using the app.
Nintendo Switch
Epitome: Nintendo Life

Go some games!

If you lot got a Switch for Christmas, the chances are you lot got a game or two with it – either bundled in the box or as a overnice actress from Santa. If the game is physical, you tin pop it direct in the organisation via a handy flap on the top right of the system (with the characterization facing you equally you lot agree the system like normal).

How to redeem a digital download code on the Nintendo Switch eShop

If you lot've got a lawmaking for a digital game, head on over to the eShop and redeem the code there to download it.

Here's that procedure in steps:

  1. Select the 'Nintendo eShop' from the habitation menu (it looks similar an orange shopping bag) to launch the eShop.
  2. Select the account you want to demark the game to.
  3. Hitting 'Redeem Lawmaking' on the lesser left of the screen.
  4. Fill in the game's code, which should be 16 characters.
  5. Striking 'Confirm'.
  6. That's it! Your game is redeemed and you should be able to download it right abroad.

Even if your game is physical, it may require an additional data download. That could exist a unproblematic update, which might add new free content to the game or fix bugs, or it could be because all the game'due south data doesn't fit on the cartridge. This is the case for a scattering of high profile games such as DOOM, NBA 2K21, and L.A. Noire.

How to buy games on the Nintendo Switch eShop

Now, if you don't have whatsoever games for your brand new Switch, allow'due south go and buy a few in the eShop, eh? Here are the steps:

  1. Boot up the Switch eShop and select a user profile that has a Nintendo Account linked to it. If you don't currently take a Nintendo Account, follow our steps above in the 'Prepare (and link) your Nintendo Business relationship' section to create 1.
  2. Find a game you similar the expect of and select information technology by pressing 'A'.
    1. Yous can find games in a variety of dissimilar manners past looking in the different sections of the eShop. 'Recent Releases' is a chronological list of the about recently released games, 'Discover' helps yous find the best games the eShop has to offering, 'Electric current Offers' is a list of all of the games on sale, and 'Charts' is the current best-selling games. You can also search for a specific game by using the 'Search' function at the summit left.
  3. Once on the game page, hit 'Continue to Purchase' and choose your preferred method. You could redeem a 'Nintendo eShop Carte', utilise your credit carte, or pay via PayPal.
  4. At present, select how much coin you'd like to stick on your eShop account. You tin can add only the required amount, or add a bit extra if you programme on purchasing a few things.
  5. Ostend the adjacent few prompts to consummate your purchase.

You lot tin can but purchase games from the eShop which matches your account region, but it's perfectly possible to fix up dummy accounts and catch games from North America and Japan - follow this guide to notice out how.

At that place are plenty of free-to-play or free-to-start games available on the Switch eShop if you're short on cash after Christmas. Hither's a option to go you lot started:

  • Fortnite
  • Pokémon Unite
  • Paladins
  • Warframe
  • Super Kirby Clash
  • Arena of Valor
  • Pokémon Quest
  • Fallout Shelter
  • Kitten Squad
  • Namco Museum
  • Pinball FX3
  • Stern Pinball Arcade
  • Pinball Arcade
  • Brawlhalla
  • Dawn of the Breakers
  • Galak-Z: Variant S
  • Zaccaria Pinball

If y'all're after game recommendations, you might want to bank check out our Switch Essentials lists (cheque for links at the bottom of this page).

Go Nintendo Switch Online so you can play Splatoon 2, Mario Kart eight Deluxe, and more than online

Nintendo Switch Online is the subscription service for Nintendo Switch which you lot need in guild to play multiplayer games online, grab exclusive offers, and admission a option of NES and Super NES games.

Free-to-play games like Fortnite Practice NOT Require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, just yous'll need one if you lot plan to play games similar Mario Kart viii Palatial or Splatoon two over the internet.

Setting up Nintendo Switch Online is surprisingly easy. Just go to the eShop and coil down to 'Nintendo Switch Online' on the left. Here, you can either commencement the vii-solar day free trial or gear up upwardly a membership program.

You lot tin can either set an individual membership, for a single user, or family unit membership, if you have two or more Nintendo Switch owners in your household – the latter allows y'all to get a Switch Online business relationship for very little greenbacks. You tin pay monthly, quarterly, or annually for an individual membership or yearly for a family membership.

To larn more, check out our Nintendo Switch Online FAQ. For footstep-past-step instructions on how to prepare a Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership, check out our guide.

Increase your storage space with a micro SD card

If at that place's 1 area in which the Switch falls brusque, information technology's in its internal storage space. The 32GB that it comes with — around 25GB which is actually attainable by the user — will fill up upwardly quickly with updates, games and DLC. Switch OLED doubles the internal storage to 64GB, but that's still non huge by today's standards.

So, it's a good idea to take hold of yourself a micro SD card. These come in a diverseness of different sizes, all the way upwards to 1TB, although that'll cost yous a pretty penny. Thankfully there are some very affordable options around the 200GB mark, which volition be more plenty to store a whole bunch of games.

Check out our guide for the all-time Nintendo Switch micro SD card deals.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a buy nosotros may receive a pocket-sized percentage of the auction. Delight read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

Accessorise!

The Nintendo Switch is such a nifty piddling device, capable of iii different methods of play and the ability to play wherever you want, whenever you want, notwithstanding you desire. As such, it's absolutely ripe for customisation. If yous've gone for the portable-only Switch Low-cal, there are still plenty of accessories available to help yous get the most out of the lovely little system.

Whether you lot want a more comfy Pro controller to use while plonked on the sofa, a nice instance to proceed it scratch complimentary in your pocketbook, a nifty micro SD card to increment your storage infinite, a Joy-Con controller with an inbuilt D-pad or a Mario Kart Pro Mini or Deluxe Racing Wheel to make those races even more intense, nosotros've got the best recommendations in our massive accessories guide.

For more information on games, accessories and the differences betwixt Switch, Switch OLED and Switch Lite, you might desire to check out our Parent's guide to the Switch consoles, or detect out which games don't work on Switch Calorie-free.

Nintendo Switch
Image: Nintendo Life

This article relates to our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the All-time Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We tin can too assistance out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the All-time Switch Racing Games, the All-time Switch Activeness-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Complimentary Switch Games, and even Games to Play Later You lot've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you lot covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Visual Novels, Fighting Games, Hidden Gems, second Platformers, 3D Platformers, Run and Gun Games, Sports Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Chill Games, Family unit Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Curt Games, Bill of fare Games and Deck-builders, Flight Sim and Space Gainsay, Signal and Click Adventure Games, and the All-time Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Athenaeum Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, and the Best Switch Collections And Compilations.

If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games Ever should aid you out, and y'all can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, All-time GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, as well as Every Nintendo Switch Online NES Game and Every Nintendo Switch Online SNES Game.