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How to Set Up Nintendo Switch Sports for Local, Online, and LAN Play

By Freedom251 Team · · 3 min read

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For one-console play, open Nintendo Switch Sports, choose Play Locally, select a sport, and follow the controller prompts. For internet play, choose Play Globally or Play with Friends; you need internet access, a Nintendo Account, and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. The game requires detached Joy-Con controllers and does not support Handheld Mode or Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers.

Choose the play route that fits your group

Route What it connects What you need
Play Locally Players sharing one console A Nintendo Switch in TV or tabletop mode and the controller setup prompted for the selected sport
Play Globally You and other players online Internet access, a Nintendo Account, and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership
Play with Friends You and invited friends online Internet access, a Nintendo Account, and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership
LAN Play Players on multiple consoles connected to the same wired network A wired router and the equipment required for each console; Nintendo documents up to four consoles and eight players total

Which controllers work depends on the sport and play configuration. Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch Sports FAQ lists compatible Joy-Con configurations; follow the game’s prompts for the sport you choose.

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Set up local play on one console

  1. Start the game and select Play Locally.
  2. Choose a sport.
  3. Follow the on-screen controller instructions. Depending on the sport, the game may ask for paired Joy-Con, a single Joy-Con, or Joy-Con with the Leg Strap.
  4. Play in TV or tabletop mode with the controllers detached from the console. Nintendo Switch Sports does not support Handheld Mode, and Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers are not compatible. Nintendo recommends TV Mode for the best play experience.

Before starting, clear enough space to move safely, put on the wrist straps, and check that people and objects are outside your play area. Nintendo’s official game site provides motion-play safety guidance.

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Set up online play

Play Globally

Select Play Globally to play online with other players. Online play requires internet access, a Nintendo Account, and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. Without an active membership, Play Globally offers only a trial competition against computer competitors. If you have just activated membership and the game does not recognize it, Nintendo advises closing the game and trying again after a short time. See the Nintendo Switch Sports FAQ for the current requirements.

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Play with Friends

Select Play with Friends to play online with friends. Voice chat for this mode uses the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app and requires membership; accounts belonging to children under 13 cannot use that voice-chat feature. Nintendo says Nintendo Switch 2 players can also play while chatting with friends through GameChat.

Use the optional Leg Strap for Soccer

The Leg Strap is needed only for certain Soccer gameplay configurations, not for every sport or every Soccer match. To choose Leg-Strap Mode:

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  • In Play Globally, highlight Soccer on the sport-selection screen and press X.
  • In Play Locally or Play with Friends, press + on the controller-instructions screen.

To attach the accessory, insert the left Joy-Con in its pocket with the control stick facing outward. Center the strap on either thigh, point the top of the Joy-Con toward your body, then wrap and tighten the strap securely without over-tightening it. Retighten it if it slips while you are standing. Joy-Con 2 controllers are not compatible with the Leg Strap. Nintendo’s attachment guide has the full placement instructions.

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Connect multiple consoles with wired LAN

LAN Play is a separate option for a group using multiple consoles on the same wired router. Nintendo specifies up to four consoles and up to eight players total, with two players per console; how many can play simultaneously depends on the sport. For each console, Nintendo lists the game, a dock, an Ethernet cable, and a television. If the dock has no LAN port, use a LAN adapter. A network switch can provide additional router ports. Nintendo also describes a compatible licensed accessory for connecting a USB LAN adapter to Switch Lite.

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  1. Connect each console to the same wired router.
  2. Start Nintendo Switch Sports, highlight Play with Friends, then hold L and R while clicking and holding the Left Stick.
  3. Select LAN Play, then choose Single Player or Two Players and select the user or users.
  4. Have one player create a room. The other players join it; the host starts play for the group.
  5. Follow the on-screen sport and match prompts.

These equipment requirements and menu steps are from Nintendo Support’s LAN Play guide.

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