Nintendo Switch is one of my favorite consoles of all time. It lets you play games on the go or use the Switch stand and dock to play on TV. However, there are times when things don’t work out and restarting doesn’t fix the issues. In such cases, you may need to completely reset your Switch. If you’re in such a situation, don’t worry, here’s how to reset Nintendo Switch.
Reset Nintendo Switch
There are a few different ways to reset your Nintendo Switch, depending on why you did it in the first place. In this article, we will cover different ways to perform a Nintendo Switch reset. We will also tell you which method to use in which situation.
We’ve included screenshots for all the steps (see how to take a screenshot on Nintendo Switch), so you shouldn’t have any issues following the tutorial. As always, you can use the table of contents below to browse any section in this article.
Completely Reformat and Reset Nintendo Switch
If you’re looking to completely reformat and reset your Nintendo Switch to sell, or get a completely fresh, clean slate, this is the method you should use.
A full reset is actually quite simple and we will outline all the steps you need to follow so that you can reset your Switch (or Switch Lite) console easily.
Note: To completely reset the Nintendo Switch before selling, you must be in a place where your Switch is connected to WiFi. This way your Switch will automatically delete itself from your Nintendo Account.
- Go to settings.
- Scroll down to ‘System’
- At the bottom of the right pane you will find ‘Formatting Options’.
- Scroll down and select ‘Start Console’.
- Scroll down and select ‘Next’ on the screens that pop up. Finally, tap on the red button labeled ‘Start’. This is the point of no return. You cannot cancel the reset when you tap this button. So make sure you really want to reset your console before continuing.
Reset Nintendo Switch without Wiping Data
On the other hand, if you are trying to reset your Nintendo Switch to fix some issues and you don’t want to lose your data, you will have to follow these steps instead.
This method takes a little more time and is complicated to achieve. Follow the step-by-step guide below to get this working quickly.
- First, hold down the power button on your Switch and then turn it off.
- Now press and hold the volume up and volume down buttons together. Then press the power button but keep holding the volume up and down buttons until you see the Maintenance Mode screen appear.
- Here, scroll down and tap ‘Start Console Without Wiping Data’.
- Tap on Next and then tap on the red button labeled ‘Start’. This is the point of no return for reset. You cannot cancel the reset after confirming.
Reset Nintendo Switch to Sell or Fix Problems
So those are the two ways to reset a Switch console. As we have discussed, the two differ in the way they behave. That’s why it’s important to use the right one for your needs. It’s always best to fully boot your console to stay on the safer side. However, if you are just resetting it to fix an annoying software issue, you can use the second method instead and not lose your data. The choice is yours.
So, haven’t you reset your Switch yet? If so, which method did you use? Let us know in the comments. Also do not hesitate to have any questions about the reset process and we will try to help you. Finally, check out our article on your favorite Nintendo Switch power banks to increase your gaming time.