Fix: Nintendo Switch dock not Working (No Green Light)

This hybrid design has put the Nintendo Switch on track to be the best-selling console of all time, and if it reaches the record levels established by the Sony PlayStation 2, it will become the best-selling console of all time. The Nintendo Switch is a handheld console that slots into a dock to turn it into a home console.

The docking portion of the Switch experience can be problematic at times. The problem is that it just doesn’t function. Although the Switch can be used to play games without any problems when it is in handheld mode, placing it in its dock does not appear to have any effect, and the green light could not even turn on.

These are the most helpful troubleshooting methods to use if your Switch Dock is not functioning properly. So follow our guide on Fix: Nintendo Switch dock not working (no green light).


Why is Nintendo Switch dock not working

Nintendo Switch dock not working (no green light)
Image Source: Reddit

Short Answer: The Nintendo Switch dock is not functioning properly due to some physical issues that may have been caused by a sudden drop of the dock from a height, physical damage, wetness, being hit by something hard, or it may have faced glitches due to a power surge or cable damages.

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Following a comprehensive review of each individual instance, we conducted tests on our own system in order to compile a list of potential reasons why you may be experiencing this problem. The following is a list of potential reasons why your Switch Dock might not be functioning correctly with your Nintendo Switch:

1. Place the Dock in the Fault state

Switch Dock, like all other peripherals, has the potential to enter an error state in which it is unable to detect your Nintendo Switch or TV and hence cannot connect with either of those devices. In this situation, power cycling is typically effective.

2. Cables arranged in the incorrect sequence

An intriguing discovery that we made was that the behavior of the Dock could be regulated by the sequence in which cables were plugged in.

This seems to be a bug or mistake in the code that was introduced by Nintendo Engineers inadvertently and continues to exist to this day. In most cases, fixing the problem simply requires reversing the order in which the wires are plugged in.

3. Dock with Flaws

There is also a possibility that your Dock is broken. Even though they are brand new, gaming consoles frequently experience problems despite this fact.

In this situation, the only thing you can do is take your accessory to a Nintendo service facility to have it checked out (but before you do that, you need to make sure that the dock is broken!). There is nothing else you can do.

4. The cable does not supply sufficient power

While the primary purpose of the Switch Dock is to charge your Nintendo Switch system, it is likely that the Switch Dock is not functioning as intended because the power cable that is linked to the Dock is not supplying the peripheral with enough amount of power. There are a lot of various perspectives to take on this, all of which are going to be covered in the answers.

5. HDMI problems

If you are unable to connect your Switch Dock to your television, you should first ensure that the HDMI cable is securely inserted into the appropriate port on the television. In the event that HDMI has problems, your ability to connect will be inhibited.

6. Problem with power outlet

Another intriguing discovery that we made was that the Switch Dock prefers to have just one of its connections to a power outlet at any given time. This is most likely attributable to the fact that in order for it to function as intended, it needs a respectable amount of power.

7. Poor configurations

If your computer has been configured incorrectly in the past, the Switch Dock may not operate at all or may only work intermittently for you. At this screen, you will have the option to either execute a hard reset or reset the temporary configurations.

First, you need to make sure that all of your settings and preferences are saved in the cloud, and only after that can you go on to tackling the problems in an organized fashion.


Fix: Nintendo Switch dock not working (no green light)

  • Method 1: Putting the Cables in the Right Order to Insert

After conducting some research, we discovered that the Switch Dock only responds to the specific order in which the cables are inserted. This order includes the power cable, the HDMI cable, and the Switch peripheral cable. This bug or issue is causing the Switch Dock to only respond in this particular order.

Because everyone is so concerned with the sequence, we strongly advise that you carry out the procedures outlined below in the precise order in which they are presented. It would appear that the firmware of the Switch Dock becomes corrupted whenever the HDMI cable is initially attached to the TV and then the device is powered on.

Disconnect every cable from the Switch Dock, including the HDMI cable, the power cable, and any cables connected to the Switch itself.  After that, ensure the HDMI cable is plugged in (here we are assuming that the HDMI cable is already connected to your television and the HDMI input is selected). Put the Nintendo Switch into the docking station now.

  • Method 2: Removing all power sources and then restart your Whole Setup

Make careful to power cycle your whole system before attempting any technical step, since this step plays a role in the resolution of any problem. This will fix the issue by thoroughly reinitializing all of your peripherals, which will involve resetting any temporary configurations you may have used and preparing for the development of fresh configuration files.

Because of this, any data that has not been saved will be lost, so make sure to back up your information to iCloud before performing any resets. Take off the power cord as well as the HDMI cable from your Switch Dock. After this, you will need to keep the power button pressed and hold it for at least ten to thirteen minutes.

After thirty to forty seconds, you should also attempt recycling your Nintendo and your television. Now, reconnect your switch to its power source and check to see whether the issue still persists.

  • Method 3: Doing check on your HDMI Cable

A second issue that plagues a significant number of customers is that the Nintendo Switch is able to be charged by the Switch Dock, but the device is unable to establish a connection to the television. The HDMI cable is the first thing that ought to come to your thoughts in this situation.

Your TV and your Switch Dock may communicate with one another over the HDMI wire. In the event that the HDMI cable is damaged or defective in any way, the data will not be able to transmit correctly, and as a result, you will not be able to establish a connection.

You may test your HDMI cable by connecting it to another device, such as a laptop or a computer, and seeing whether or not the connection is functional after doing so.

  • Method 4: Examining the Dock to See Whether It Is Defective

There are several cases in which the Dock itself is troublesome, in addition to countless cases in which there are problems with the Dock’s internal hardware components. If this is the case, there is absolutely no way that you will be able to make it operate the way you want it to.

Suppose you have tried all of the solutions described above. But the issue still persists; in this case, you should determine whether or not the dock is broken. In the vast majority of cases, there is not further problematic component other than the hardware included within it. In this particular scenario, there is no way that you can fix it on your own.

If your Nintendo product is still under warranty, you will need to take it to a Nintendo customer care facility.  The power adapter that Nintendo uses is non-standard in terms of both the manner in which it negotiates electricity and the quantity of power that it offers.

Because of this, you shouldn’t use it with other USB-C devices like a Samsung phone or any other Android phone for that matter. This is also the reason why power adapters that are not made by Nintendo could not supply the dock with as much power as it requires.

  • Method 5: Examination of the Power Cable

The Nintendo Switch may be charged and connected to your television with the use of its corresponding Switch Dock accessory. Given how many of these activities it does, it stands to reason that it consumes a respectable amount of power.

The Switch Dock will not function as intended if there is insufficient power given to it, which can result in a variety of problems, including the device’s inability to charge or to connect to the television in the correct manner.

Be certain that you are using the original Switch Dock Power cord and that you are plugging it into a separate power outlet while you are using it. The last point is of critical significance.

Even though it doesn’t make sense because it will be consuming the same amount of power through an extension with other things plugged in. It appears that it prefers that you insert it in a sole power outlet that isn’t being shared with any other electronic appliance.

This is despite the fact that it will be consuming the same amount of power through an extension with other things plugged in.

  • Method 6: Make the necessary adjustments to the TV’s output resolution settings

The Nintendo Switch is capable of outputting video at 480p, 720p, and 1080p resolutions, respectively. You should find that virtually every TV you come across is capable of handling all three of these options and that 1080p should be your best option 99% of the time.

On the other hand, you may be working with a television that is incompatible with any one of these resolutions or perhaps more than one. For instance, some older 720p televisions or displays may not be able to handle a signal at 1080p. To be clear, the likelihood of this happening is rather low.

It would have to be a rather uncommon TV for there to be a problem with these typical resolutions, but trying out a few alternative outputs to see if it makes a difference isn’t going to damage anything.

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