Various example embodiments for a wavelength selective switch including a direct grating interface are presented. In at least some example embodiments, a wavelength selective switch may include a light propagating element having a tilted fiber grating integrated therein, thereby providing a direct grating interface to the light propagating element. It is noted that use of such a direct grating interface may obviate the need for use of various components typically utilized within wavelength selective switches (e.g., front-end optics in the port direction, front-end optics and diffractive gratings in the wavelength direction, and so forth), thereby enabling the size of wavelength selective switches to be reduced or even for the wavelength selective switches to be made compact or even ultra-compact.