Minecraft Switch and PC: how to join your friends on Bedrock?

Your friend is playing on a computer and you on a Nintendo Switch: you can share a world when both devices use the compatible Bedrock environment. The main pitfall is the word "PC," which can refer to either a Java or Bedrock installation. Once this difference is resolved, the connection is handled via accounts, the friends list, and the settings of the hosted world.

Our Minecraft games and editions page helps identify the versions of the game. The Minecraft servers and multiplayer section presents ways to share a game. This guide follows an online session between a Switch and a Windows PC, with a separate check if you are playing on the same local network.

1. Launching the right edition on both devices

On PC, open Minecraft for Windows in the launcher or the application used to start it. This is Bedrock, the edition that connects directly to other Bedrock platforms. Minecraft Java Edition works differently. Owning both editions on your account does not mean the launcher has automatically chosen the one that matches your friend’s console version.

On Switch, ensure you are using Minecraft in its current version, not the old, separate Nintendo Switch Edition. Then, check for available updates on both devices. The versions must be able to connect to each other. For a first attempt, stick to the standard updated versions rather than associating a test version with a regular game.

If the PC runs on macOS or Linux with Java, the Bedrock Windows procedure presented here does not directly apply. Identify this difference before changing console settings. Our comparison of Java loaders Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge can help you recognize a modified Java installation; these loaders are not necessary to join a Switch in a standard Bedrock game.

Perform this check with the home screens open side-by-side if possible. The name of the edition and the version displayed provide a more reliable basis than remembering the game purchased several years ago.

2. Preparing accounts and online access

Each player uses their own account to join the session. On Switch, signing into a Microsoft account in Minecraft enables cross-platform features. Follow the sign-in instructions displayed by the game, then verify the gamertag that appears once the operation is complete. The Nintendo account and the Microsoft account fulfill different roles; their visible names are not necessarily identical.

For online play from the Switch, the required Nintendo Switch Online access must be available for the profile in question. The Microsoft account is free, but it does not replace this console subscription. On Windows PC, joining an online Bedrock game does not require a Nintendo subscription. Therefore, check the requirements for each device separately.

If an account belongs to a child, multiplayer and cross-network play permissions may be managed by the family organizer. An account restriction may prevent connection even if the Wi-Fi and versions are correct. Our Minecraft guide for parents helps prepare these choices before the session, without turning troubleshooting into an improvised modification of all settings.

Our Minecraft figurines can accompany a small shared space themed around your favorite characters. The set below brings together several figures to evoke an adventure for multiple players, regardless of each player's device.

3. Adding each other with the correct gamertag

In the Minecraft friends functions, search for the other player's Microsoft gamertag. Type it exactly as displayed, including any elements that distinguish similar names. Do not replace this gamertag with a Nintendo friend code: it is for a different list and is not enough to directly identify the PC player in Minecraft.

Check that you have selected the correct profile, then add it using the provided commands. The other player must also check the relationship and incoming requests according to the interface. Then return to the friends list to confirm their presence. A name found in a search is not always an already-accepted friend or someone authorized to join your world.

To avoid confusion, exchange the gamertag by copying it directly from the game. A screenshot of the name alone can also serve as a reference between you, without including sign-in screens. When both players see each other in their lists, move on to hosting: being friends does not automatically make all personal worlds accessible.

Our guide to changing your Minecraft skin allows you to choose two appearances that are easy to distinguish. The portraits of Minecraft Steve and Minecraft Alex provide familiar inspiration to quickly recognize your duo once in the game.

4. Opening a world for the other player to join

First, choose the host: this is the device that owns and launches the world. The PC can host while the Switch joins, or vice versa when the configuration allows. For a first test, create a simple world with a clear name. You can use your large save file after confirming that accounts and the connection work.

In the world settings, enable multiplayer and choose access appropriate for the friends you want to invite. Check the permissions granted to new players: a visitor does not have the same action possibilities as a member. Then launch the world, and use the invitation provided in the game if necessary. The host must be physically in the world at the time of the test.

Avoid platform-specific content for this first connection. An ordinary world without extensions helps rule out limits imposed by a particular model or additional downloads. Once the test is successful, you can gradually add the elements you want to use together and verify their availability on both devices.

Our first night in Minecraft guide and the Minecraft survival page offer an easy start: shelter, tools, and basic resources. A small shared goal helps quickly validate that everyone can act within the world.

5. Joining from the Switch or PC

On the guest device, open Play and the functions to view friends or their available games. The labels evolve according to the platform and interface, but you are looking for the host's active world. Select the session or accept their invitation. Then wait for it to load, especially if the world requires additional resources.

When you arrive, confirm that both players are indeed in the same save. Compare the world name, coordinates, or a visible landmark. Perform a small test: trade an item, open a chest set aside for that purpose, and have each person place a block. If one person cannot build, check their player permissions before looking for a connection problem.

Keep graphic settings reasonable on the device that requires it. The shared world does not require both screens to display exactly the same rendering. The essential thing is that actions are consistent and movement remains pleasant. A large base can be more demanding than an empty test world, especially during the first load.

Our Minecraft mousepads allow you to customize the PC station hosting the session. The model below features an underwater scene to accompany a port, aquarium, or underwater exploration project.

6. Understanding why a friend or world is missing

If the friend does not appear, check the logged-in account and the gamertag added. If the friend appears but not their world, check that multiplayer is open, access permissions, and that the host is actually playing in that save. If the world appears but refuses the connection, compare the versions and read the exact message instead of immediately redoing the friends list.

Blocked online access can also come from family permissions, a console subscription, or difficulty connecting to services. Try again after a normal restart of the game on both devices. Also verify that any update download is finished. Changing multiple elements at the same time will make it harder to identify what solved the problem.

If you are in the same house, our guide to playing Minecraft over LAN on the same network details local sharing. A local mode between consoles and a Bedrock game between platforms should not be confused. Use the procedure that corresponds to your goal and the options actually offered by the devices.

You can also swap the host for a simple test. If the PC world is accessible from the Switch but the opposite fails, note this difference and examine the settings of the problematic world. This result is more useful than a succession of invitations sent without changing conditions.

7. Choosing an activity suited to the duo

For the first session, choose a project that is easily shared: a small house, a village square, or a garden. One player gathers materials while the other prepares the terrain, then you switch roles. The goal is for everyone to contribute to a visible part of the result, even if one uses a mouse and the other a controller.

Our modern Minecraft house guide helps choose a simple palette. The one for finding a Minecraft village offers an exploration goal if you prefer to travel. The Minecraft builds page brings together other ideas to adapt to the length of your session and the participants' experience.

Prepare a shared chest and a meeting point. Agree on what can be used freely and what each person keeps for their own equipment. If you split up to gather, note the return coordinates before leaving. These small landmarks reduce the moments where one person waits while the other finds their way.

To extend the atmosphere on both stations, the green mug with monsters and dragon is among our Minecraft mugs. The bee lamp, found in our Minecraft lamps, can evoke a garden or farm project.

8. Resuming the game for the next session

Crossplay allows sharing the world, but it does not automatically create a full copy on each device. The save remains with the host in this game mode. When the host leaves, the other players lose access to the session. Therefore, plan the end together and let the world save normally.

To resume, the host launches the same save with multiplayer active, then the other player joins. If you wish to access the world at different times, persistent hosting may better suit your needs. Choose this solution based on your habits, after checking the edition and the functions necessary for the group.

Our article on organizing a Minecraft desk and the guide to a small Minecraft room help organize a space where both console and PC find their place. The Minecraft room decoration guide page allows you to keep a common palette. The set of eight sticker sheets, among our Minecraft stickers, offers several patterns to distribute according to everyone's tastes.

Minecraft posters can become a shared decor piece. Our article on how to organize Minecraft frames and posters helps with choosing their placement before filling the wall.

Frequently asked questions about Minecraft on Switch and PC

My friend is on Java: can they join my Switch directly?

The usual procedure described here requires Bedrock on both devices. On a Windows PC that has both editions, they must launch Minecraft for Windows. Specific solutions between Java and Bedrock require a different setup.

Does a Microsoft account replace Nintendo Switch Online?

No. The account enables cross-platform features, while online access on the console also depends on the subscription required for the profile being used. Check these two points separately before looking for a fault in the world.

Why can't my guest break blocks?

Check their permissions in the session. A player in visitor mode or subject to certain rules does not have the same actions available as a member. If the connection is established and you can see each other, start by checking these world settings.

Which test confirms everything is ready?

Both players join the same save, see each other, trade an item, and perform the planned actions. Then note who is hosting and how to resume the world. You will be able to devote the next session to your project rather than connection settings.