Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 accessibility settings explained

Set it up, step by step

1. Update the console first: Nintendo notes that some accessibility features arrive in system updates.
2. Switch 2: from the HOME Menu, open System Settings and select Accessibility.
3. Turn on Convert Text to Speech, then choose a voice type and adjust Text to speech speed and Text to speech volume.
4. Set Text size (default, large or maximum), and turn on Bold text or High contrast if they help.
5. Turn on Zoom, then press the HOME Button twice quickly to zoom in; use the X and Y Buttons to change the zoom level.
6. Select Change Display Colours to choose Invert colours or Greyscale, or Default to go back.
7. Select Change Button Mapping, pick a connected controller, select Change, then choose a button and its new mapping. Select Save.
8. Turn on Mono Audio if you hear better on one side.
9. Original Switch: for zoom go to System Settings > System > Zoom; for button mapping go to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping.

Where it works

Text to speech on Switch 2

Switch 2's text to speech reads on-screen text in the HOME Menu, the album and System Settings. Nintendo says it also announces information that helps with operation, such as where the cursor is. You can choose between two voice types and change speed and volume. UK English is among the supported languages.

It does not read text inside most games: that depends on each game. If you rely on speech, check whether the game itself has narrated menus before buying. Nintendo also notes that some languages may require a system update before text to speech is available.

For players who need speech from the very start, Nintendo explains that on system version 22.0.0 or later you can hold the Y Button on the language selection screen to enable text to speech during first-time setup. On older system versions you can enable it after the console has updated during setup.

Zoom, text size and display colours

Zoom works on both Switch 2 and the original Switch. Once enabled, press the HOME Button twice quickly to zoom in. On Switch 2 you can move the zoomed area with either stick, press the HOME Button to lock the view, and use the X and Y Buttons to change the zoom level. In handheld or tabletop mode you can pinch the touch screen. Press the HOME Button twice again to stop zooming.

Switch 2 adds Text size (default, large or maximum), Bold text and High contrast. Nintendo is clear that these affect the HOME Menu and System Settings only, so check each game's own options as well.

Change Display Colours offers Invert colours (white becomes black, and so on) and Greyscale. Nintendo has a support article for anyone who switches these on by accident and wants to reverse them: go back to Change Display Colours and select Default.

Button mapping and presets

Button mapping lets you change what each button does, or disable a button. On Switch 2 it is under System Settings > Accessibility > Change Button Mapping; on the original Switch it is under System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping. Only connected controllers are shown.

You cannot remap the POWER Button, volume buttons, HOME Button or SYNC Button. Stick directions cannot be mapped to buttons, but you can swap which side each stick acts as, for example making the right stick behave as the left stick.

Nintendo says up to five custom configurations can be saved per controller on each console. A preset made for one type of controller can be loaded on another of the same type, such as one Joy-Con 2 (L) to another. If you forget your mapping, putting the console into sleep mode and waking it gives you the option to reset it.

GameChat transcription and mono audio

GameChat on Switch 2 includes speech to text and text to speech. Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Change Speech ⇔ Text During GameChat and select the user. Display speech as text shows other people's speech in a chat box beside the main screen. Convert text to speech reads typed messages aloud to everyone. You can choose a voice type and set languages for each direction; UK English supports both.

Nintendo notes that GameChat needs a Nintendo Account, a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and mobile phone number registration, and that children need parental approval through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app.

Mono Audio, also under Accessibility, sends the same sound to both sides. It helps if you hear better in one ear. For more on hearing settings across platforms, see our hearing guide.

Quick Settings, grips and controller details

On Switch 2 you can add Change Button Mapping to Quick Settings, which open when you hold the HOME Button. That makes it easier to switch mappings mid-session without leaving the game. Nintendo notes that the GL and GR Buttons on the Joy-Con 2 charging grip and the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller can only be mapped from Quick Settings while a game is running.

On the original Switch, Nintendo explains that mapping for the A, B, X and Y Buttons applies only when the Joy-Con is used in a dual-controller grip (held vertically). If you play with a single Joy-Con held sideways, you can instead disable inputs or change the stick orientation.

On Switch 2 the mapping can also be reset from Quick Settings; on the original Switch it is reset in System Settings. Either way, resetting does not delete saved presets.

What the Switch does not offer, and workarounds

Unlike Xbox and PS5, Nintendo's UK support pages that we checked do not describe a first-party adaptive controller or a system setting that merges two controllers for one player. Players who need switch access often rely on button mapping, games with simple controls, and third-party accessibility hardware. We do not list specific third-party devices because compatibility claims vary; ask the maker and check reviews from disabled players before buying.

Many Nintendo games include their own assist options, such as steering or difficulty help. Check the game's manual and settings, and our game profiles. For general advice on which setup might work for you, see our UK support page.

Tips that save time

• On system version 22.0.0 or later, hold the Y Button on the language screen during first-time setup to turn on text to speech immediately.
• Add Change Button Mapping to Quick Settings (hold the HOME Button) for faster access during games.
• Save up to five button-mapping presets per controller and load them when you switch games.
• Button mapping is saved on the console, not the controller, so it will not follow a controller to another console.
• A spanner icon next to a controller means custom mapping is active; check this before assuming a controller is faulty.
• Text size, bold text and high contrast apply to the HOME Menu and System Settings, not inside games.
• Zoom is not supported in some game modes, such as VR mode, and screenshots save the normal, unzoomed view.

Questions people ask

Does Nintendo Switch have a screen reader?

Switch 2 has text to speech for the HOME Menu, album and System Settings. The original Switch does not have an equivalent system feature listed in Nintendo's UK support pages.

Can I remap buttons on Switch Lite?

Yes. Nintendo states that button mapping on the Switch Lite system can be changed through System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Change Button Mapping.

Why are my Switch screen colours inverted?

Invert colours or Greyscale has probably been turned on. Go to System Settings > Accessibility > Change Display Colours and select Default.

Does button mapping work in games?

Yes. Nintendo says mapping applies in nearly all situations, including games and the HOME Menu, but is disabled during things like controller tests and stick calibration.