Fix Nintendo Switch Problems With a Factory Reset
The Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling and most popular gaming systems of all time, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its problems. Sometimes this can be fixed with a simple system reset, and there are several ways to do this. These reset methods will work for both the original Switch , Switch Lite , and Switch OLED models .
How to Soft Reset Your Nintendo Switch
The first method worth trying is something called a soft reset, which should fix any software issues you may be experiencing with games or system software. To soft reset your Nintendo Switch, press and hold the power button on the top of the device for about 10-15 seconds until it turns off (after a few minutes, a pop-up window will appear on the screen giving you the ability to access sleep mode and power options, but you can simply hold the power button until it turns off). Leave it off for a minute or two, then press and hold the power button to turn it back on.
How to Perform a Hard Reset on Nintendo Switch
If performing a soft reset does not resolve the issue, you can perform a hard reset. First, turn off the Switch by holding the Power button. Then press and hold the Power, Volume Up and Volume Down buttons at the same time. Continue holding these buttons until your Switch boots into Maintenance Mode . In the OSD menu, scroll down until you see the option to Initialize console without deleting save data. Tap this and select OK. Your Switch should then reboot and return to factory settings without losing any saved data.
How to Factory Reset Your Nintendo Switch
If problems continue to occur, you may need to try a factory reset. Performing a factory reset on your Switch is also a good idea before selling or trading your console. It’s worth noting that resetting your Nintendo Switch to factory settings will erase all your data, including save files and game downloads, and disconnect your connection to your Nintendo Account. You can back up this data to your Nintendo Switch Online account, but you’ll have to pay for the privilege. To do this, open each game’s software menu and select “Back up data to the cloud”, then select the user profile you want and select “Back up save data”.
After that, it’s time to factory reset your Switch. Go to the Home screen and tap the System Settings icon. In System Settings , scroll down and select System from the menu on the left. Scroll again until you see Formatting Options . In the Format Options menu, scroll down to Restore Factory Settings and click on it. To confirm the reset, click Next. Resetting your Nintendo Switch will take a few minutes. Once the process is complete, your Switch will boot up and display the setup screen as if you had a new console.