There is a simple version of how to connect switch controller to pc and a complete version. Both are here, in that order.
Understanding the reason behind a step lets you adapt it when your situation differs. Written notes beat memory when you come back to this in a month.
If you only read one section
If you only do one thing from this page, do the first step properly.
What most guides get wrong here
Anything presented as a hidden trick is normally just a step that a popular guide left out. Where several approaches exist, the popular one is popular for being easy to explain rather than best. Terminology differs between communities more than the underlying behaviour does. The steps are boring on purpose; the interesting version is the one that fails half the time.
If the first attempt fails cleanly, that is more useful than one that half-works. Interfaces move between versions; the underlying logic almost never does.
Related things worth knowing
People searching how to connect switch controller to pc are usually stuck at one specific moment rather than confused generally. It is worth reading the whole section before starting, even though nobody ever does. It is worth knowing which part of this the game actually enforces and which part is convention. The simplest explanation that accounts for what you are seeing is usually the correct one.
- Change one thing at a time and check the result.
- Keep the first attempt simple and save the refinements for later.
- Read to the end of the section before starting it.
- Try it once without shortcuts to see the full behaviour.
When to stop optimising
A result that works but that you cannot explain will not survive the next change. The version number is the single most useful thing to note before following instructions. Doing this properly once is faster than doing it approximately three times. The margin for error is wider than it appears, so a slightly imperfect attempt still counts.
How to check it worked
If the explanation feels overcomplicated, it probably is — the working version is usually short. Where a guide and the game disagree, the game is right and the guide is old. The complicated explanation and the simple one usually describe the same thing at different zoom levels. A change that helps one setup can quietly hurt another, which is why one-at-a-time testing pays off.
Where a guide and the game disagree about how to connect switch controller to pc, the game is right and the guide is old. Anything described as a known issue is worth checking before assuming the fault is yours. Most advice on this topic assumes you already know half the answer, which is exactly the problem.
Things that waste the most time
- Making a permanent change to answer a question a reversible one would have settled.
- Following the detailed method when the simple one would have done.
- Trusting a video thumbnail over the actual patch notes.
- Reading only the summary and missing the condition it depended on.
Questions people also ask
How long should this take?
Most people get through it in one sitting. The first attempt runs long because of reading; the second is much quicker.
Why do two sources say different things?
Almost always because they are describing different versions, or because one of them repeated an assumption without testing it.
Is there any risk to my save?
Not from the steps above. Backing up first is still sensible if the game makes it easy, purely because it costs nothing.
Where should I look if this does not cover my case?
The official notes for your version first, then a community thread from the same version. Both together beat either alone.
That is the whole of how to connect switch controller to pc, minus the parts that only pad out a page.