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Fix Nintendo Switch Dock Not Working (2023 Update)

For gamers, the Nintendo Switch dock is required when you are trying to charge for Nintendo Switch, a globally popular video game console. Or if you feel like connecting the Switch console to the TV, the Switch dock is also needed to work as a docking station.

nintendo switch not working

Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch dock is not working with no green light and it can’t connect to the TV. Switch fans should know Switch Dock is a docking station with electrical connections that are used to charge Nintendo Switch or connect it to the TV via the HDMI cable.

Therefore, when the Nintendo Switch dock is not charging or connecting to the TV, gamers can’t enjoy all the features of this video game console.

Why Is My Nintendo Switch Dock Not Working?

No matter you run into Nintendo Switch dock not charging or dock station not turning on or connecting the console to the television, there are some common items worth checking and fixing:

  • Conflicts between your device and Nintendo Switch dock. If the system settings are not configured correctly for the console, the Switch docking station won’t turn on. In this case, you need to power cycle the Switch console.
  • HDMI cable issues. The HDMI cable is needed to connect the Switch and the television. Therefore, when Nintendo Switch fails to connect to the TV, it is necessary to check the HDMI cable issues.
  • Mistakes in plugging in the Nintendo Switch dock cables. Gamers may do not know that Nintendo Switch dock cables should be plugged in corresponding order. For instance, the power cable shall be plugged in before the HDMI cable in case of conflicts.
  • Inadequate power in Nintendo Switch dock. Although the docking station is always used to charge the Switch console, if the dock itself lacks power, it is natural that it won’t turn to charge the console.
  • The Switch dock itself is faulty or problematic. In this case, you need to check the configurations on the system and check whether the dock is faulty.

How to Fix Nintendo Switch Dock Not Working?

If you are to resolve the Nintendo Switch dock with no green light and not working, you need to check all related peripheral components like an HDMI cable. Or once you noticed that the Switch dock stops working after the power outage, it may imply that the power of the dock runs into issues.

Solutions:

Solution 1: Power Cycle Nintendo Switch Dock

When you observed that the Nintendo Switch dock is not charging the console or not turning on at all, you may as well power cycle the docking station to get it back to work. By powering cycling the Switch dock, all the configurations related to it will be reset, which may be useful in this case.

1. Unplug the HDMI and the power cables of the Switch dock. Here you need to unplug all the cables from the dock.

2. Hold the Power button of the Switch console for 20 or more seconds to turn off Nintendo Switch.

unplug all cables from nintendo switch dock

3. After one minute, plug in all unplugged cables and then turn the Switch console on.

4. Connect the Nintendo Switch to the docking station.

The whole process will power cycle the Nintendo Switch dock to fix the dock shows no green light and refuses to work with the console.

Solution 2: Charge Nintendo Switch Docking Station

As said before, when the docking station itself has low power, it can’t dock Nintendo Switch dock. In this way, you might as well try to charge the dock to ensure it can work to charge the Switch and connect it to the TV.

To charge the Switch dock, you need to press and hold the power button of the dock for one minute to get it to start charging itself.

After the dock is fully charged, try to dock the Switch video game console on it to see if it charges the dock this time. 

Solution 3: Re-plug the Switch Dock Cables in the Correct Order

Unlike common chargers or power that can be plugged anytime, cables on the Switch dock need to be plugged in the correct order to avoid conflicts. Check the cables on this Nintendo Switch dock and ensure they are plugged in the right order.

1. Unplug all the plugged-in cables from the docking station.

2. Firstly, plug in the power cable.

3. Then plug the HDMI cable.

4. Finally, connect the Switch to the Switch docking station to charge it or connect it to the TV.

plug in cables in order

With the correct order, no errors will be caused, and you can see that the Nintendo Switch dock can be turned on and charge your console.

Solution 4: Check the HDMI Cable

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a standard for simultaneously transmitting digital video and audio from a source, such as a computer or TV cable box, to a computer monitor, TV, or projector.

In this case, when HDMI cable for Nintendo Switch cable is not working, odds are that Nintendo Switch not charging or turning on will show up as the digital audio or video from a source like TV can’t be transmitted.

Hence, you need to check this cable to avoid cable errors that result in Switch doc not connecting to the TV or USB ports not working.

To check the HDMI cable errors, you can try to connect the HDMI to another computer. If Nintendo Switch won’t charge on another computer with the HDMI cable, it implies that the HDMI cable is faulty and you can consider replacing a new one.

check hdmi cable

Solution 5: Change a Power Outlet

For users who find that the Switch dock won’t charge the console, it is worthwhile to try another power outlet. That is to say, when the power outlet is problematic and can’t provide enough power for the docking station, Nintendo Switch won’t be charged by the dock, nor can it be connected to the TV.

Therefore, just try to plug the Switch dock into another power outlet. In this case, it is strongly recommended that you choose to plug the dock into an independent power outlet and charge it with the original power cable. After that, you can see Switch can be fully charged and connected to the TV via the dock.

Solution 6: Check the Switch Dock Hardware

This is to figure out whether your Switch Dock is faulty. Of course, when the dock itself is faulty, it won’t charge your Switch console and connect it to the television. To troubleshoot whether it is physically broken, you can borrow a Switch docking station from your friends and then try to charge your Switch using it.

If the borrowed dock can charge the Switch, it implies that your Switch dock is faulty. If so, you may have to consult the Nintendo consumer center.

Summary:

This post shows you how to fix Nintendo Switch Dock not working effectively from aspects of HDMI cable, power cable, bad configurations, and faulty dock. After referring to this article, you can get the Switch dock back to charge the Switch and connect it to the TV.

Brian Peng
Brian Peng is a PC technician and network engineer with over 13 years of IT experience. He has worked in the IT industry for a long time, providing IT support and network service support for various companies. Currently, he has written over 1000 articles about computers, games, and mobile.

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