How To Reset Nintendo Switch: In 5 Steps With Photos

It’s pretty normal to reset a Nintendo Switch console. People do it for a couple of reasons. The most common is to speed things up and bring a console back to its factory settings. You’ll likely do this when you run out of storage or want to return the console to the default settings.

There are a couple of ways to reset your Nintendo Switch console, and the first method described below will keep all of your saved data. After that, we will explore other ways to reset your Nintendo Switch console. Finally, we will look at how to do a factory reset to erase all of your data permanently, something you should consider doing before selling the system.

Step 1: Turn Console Off

Start by turning your Switch console completely off. Hold the power button down until a screen appears with power options. On the menu that appears, select “Turn Off.” Make sure your console is turned off and not in normal sleep mode.

Step 2: Hold the Volume Buttons

With the console turned off, you need to hold down the volume buttons. If you aren’t familiar with the volume buttons, they are the up and down buttons on the top of the console next to the power button. Make sure you hold down both the volume up and down simultaneously.

Step 3: Keep Holding

Continue holding the volume up and down buttons while pressing the power button. Tap the power button but keep holding the volume button until the console boots up. When the console boots, you can release the volume buttons, and you should now be in Maintenance Mode.

Step 4: Initialize Console

When the console boots into Maintenance Mode, you will see a menu with a few options. You need to select “Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data.” Choose the right option so you won’t lose your previous data. Once selected, you will need to click OK to move on with the reset.

Step 5: Wait for it to Finish

When you reset the console, wait for the process to complete. This may take a little while, so you should plug the console into a power supply. Once the reset completes, you will be back on the home screen. Don’t forget that you have to reinstall any games and set up the Internet.

Quick Reset

The quick reset does exactly what it sounds like and allows you to resolve minor issues plaguing the system. This option is handy if a game keeps freezing or the console is buggy. You won’t lose data, and your settings won’t change.

Step 1: Hold down the power button

Start by holding down the power button on the top of the switch console until the machine turns off.

Step 2: Turn the console back on

Once you’ve turned the console off, briefly press the power button to turn the system back on.

Step 3: Wait for the Console to Finish Booting

If you did follow the steps properly, the Switch console should now be reset. Turning the system off and on is different from putting it in sleep mode and turning it back on.

Factory Reset

The final method we will cover to reset your switch console is a factory reset. This will revert all your settings and data to their original state. All saved data will be permanently removed. Before selling the console or giving it away, reset it to prevent other people from accessing your account and data.

Step 1: Select Settings

From the Nintendo Switch console’s home screen, you need to press the gear icon to open the settings menu.

Step 2: Choose System

Once the settings menu is open, scroll down on the left side until you get to System and select it.

Step 3: Select Formatting

In the next menu that opens, you should see the option to “Restore Factory Settings” you need to Scroll down to it and select it.

Step 4: Choose Initialize Console

After choosing to restore factory settings, you’ll get to a screen where you will choose “Initialize Console” and select “Next.”

Step 5: Wait for Reset to Complete

Once the reset completes, your Nintendo Switch console will be just like it was when it was brand new. If you are planning on selling it or giving it away, do not sign back into the system.

Resetting Different Switch Consoles

Nintendo has three versions of the Switch console. This includes the original version, which can play games in handheld mode or on a TV. After that, they released a portable-only model, the Switch Lite. This console does not have removable Joycons and cannot play certain games. The Switch Lite is also smaller and cannot be docked.

Switch OLED, the latest version, is similar to the original console as it uses removable controllers. However, this updated version has a vibrant OLED display slightly larger than the previous models. The good news is that the above steps work for all three models.

Resetting a Game

If you remember the earlier days of gaming, then you probably recall game consoles had a reset button on them. One of the more recent examples is the Gamecube, which is still over twenty years old. Nonetheless, newer consoles don’t have a quick way to restart a game like the game consoles from years ago.

Part of the reason modern consoles lack reset buttons is that systems are so complex. Older consoles did not rely on a menu or home screen to navigate because you would insert a disc or cartridge, and the game would load. Now, you can download games to a system and easily swap between titles.

While you can swap between games from the home menu, doing so doesn’t resolve problems as a physical reset button did. Unfortunately, games are still susceptible to glitches, so you may need to reset a Switch console. Even though the Switch doesn’t have a reset button, you can still reset it by holding down the power button until the console powers off and then turning it back on.