How To Fix: Nintendo Switch Unable To Join Match Online

As millions of Nintendo Switch users around the world stay in their homes and start going online to play, some may find out that they are unable to join a match with friends at all. While the problem is not new, many players may actually encounter this issue for the first time.

If you have no idea what to do, we provide a list of possible solutions below.

To also give you an idea why this problem occurs, we include the common factors to consider. We hope that you’ll find this article useful.

Causes why your Nintendo Switch is unable to join an online match

If your Nintendo Switch is online but you are unable to join a match to play with other players over the internet, there are a number of possible reasons for that. Below is a list of factors that you should consider when diagnosing a possible connectivity issue on your Nintendo Switch.

Switch has NAT type issue.

If your console is getting a restrictive NAT (Network Address Translation) type, it may encounter difficulty joining a match, or may be unable to join at all.

NAT type is determined by your router settings. ISP-provided routers are usually configured to allow non-restrictive NAT types (like NAT Type A or B). If you’re getting a restrictive NAT type such as NAT Type C, D, or F, your router settings will have to be reconfigured. For such, you’ll have to talk to your Internet Service Provider.

Console is getting slow download speed.

If your console is getting slow download speed, you may experience lag while in a game, or there may be issues when trying to join in an online match. Some games don’t require fast internet connection at all. Games like Animal Crossing New Horizons can run without issues even if your connection speed can’t top 3 Mbps. Other games like Rocket League or Fortnite may require that you have at least 3 Mbps or higher but that’s it. Try to run an internet connection test and check your download speed.

Ping or latency is high.

Latency refers to the time a signal travels from your console to the game server, and back to your console. If your latency is high (measured in milliseconds or ms), your console may encounter an error when joining a match. You should strive to keep ping or latency below 100 ms. 

The Internet Connection Test tool in Nintendo Switch does not provide ping results so if you want to get a general idea what your local network’s ping is, you need to use third party speed test apps or websites such as speedtest.net.

Game server is down or under maintenance.

If you are having trouble joining a match online with just one game, it’s possible that the issue may be coming from the game server. Some games may encounter server problems from time to time. 

If you have another online game, try playing it and see if your console can join a match. If the game works and there’s no issues with your online experience, stop troubleshooting your Nintendo Switch console. 

Instead, just wait until the game server issue is resolved by checking after a few hours.

How To Fix A Nintendo Switch that won’t connect with others online

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