Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesSelling or giving away your Nintendo Switch? Choose Initialize Console in System Settings to erase its internal user data and save data. Keeping the console to troubleshoot it? Use Maintenance Mode and choose Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data. Is it frozen? Force it to turn off first; that does not erase anything.
Nintendo calls these operations “initialization,” not a soft or hard reset. The steps below apply to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model—not Nintendo Switch 2. Menu wording can vary slightly by region or system software version.
Choose the right reset before you begin
| What you need | Action | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare a console for sale, gifting, or disposal | System Settings → System → Formatting Options → Initialize Console | Deletes internal user data and save data and unlinks Nintendo Accounts from the console. |
| Troubleshoot a console you plan to keep | Maintenance Mode → Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data | Preserves internal save data, users, and account links, while resetting other console data. |
| Recover a frozen or unresponsive console | Force a shutdown by holding POWER | Turns the console off; it is not a factory reset and is not intended to erase data. |
| Fix a cache or keyboard-suggestion issue | Use Reset Cache or Reset Keyboard in Formatting Options | Resets the relevant data without performing a full initialization. |
If you are moving to another Switch, transfer users and save data first. Do not initialize the old console until you have confirmed the transfer.
What a full initialization deletes
Initialize Console returns the Switch to its setup state by removing data stored in system memory, including:
#1 Best Overall
- The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
- Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
- Dock that supports 4K when connected to a compatible TV*
- GameChat** lets you voice chat, share your game screen, and connect via video chat as you play
- Save data and downloaded software data.
- Screenshots and videos stored in internal memory.
- User information and Nintendo Account links on the console.
- System settings, configuration, and history-related data such as error logs.
Initialization does not roll back the system software version. It also does not delete the Nintendo Account itself: the account, purchase history, and balance remain associated with that account. After signing in again, you can generally redownload software and DLC bought through it. Nintendo’s [initialization guidance](https://www.nintendo.com/ph/support/switch/data_management/initialization/index.html) explains the data effects.
Game saves are stored in the console’s internal memory, not on a physical game card. A cartridge therefore does not restore a save after initialization. Before resetting, check whether each game’s save can be backed up with Save Data Cloud; support is not universal. Nintendo Switch Online’s [Save Data Cloud information](https://www.nintendo.com/us/switch/online/) can help you check the service, but do not assume every title is covered.
What happens to a microSD card?
Initialization does not necessarily erase the card itself. However, software data stored on the microSD card becomes unusable to the initialized console and may need to be redownloaded. Screenshots and videos stored on the card remain accessible, according to Nintendo’s [North American initialization instructions](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22399/p/989/c/235). Visible files on the card do not mean installed games will keep working.
Rank #2
- 6.2” LCD screen
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
- Nintendo Switch is the home of Mario & friends
Before a full factory reset
- Protect saves: Transfer them or verify that the particular game supports a cloud backup. Deleted local saves cannot be recovered unless you have a valid transfer or backup.
- Copy important captures: Save screenshots and videos stored in internal memory somewhere safe.
- Check account access: Make sure you know the Nintendo Account email, password, and any required two-factor-authentication method.
- Prefer an internet connection: Nintendo recommends connecting before initialization so the console can attempt to unlink Nintendo Accounts.
- For a handoff: Remove game cards and accessories. Back up important microSD contents or remove the card before giving the console away.
- For a replacement console: Complete and verify the transfer before erasing the old unit. Animal Crossing: New Horizons island data requires Nintendo’s separate island-transfer service; ordinary user transfer is not enough. See Nintendo’s [replacement and transfer guidance](https://support.nintendo.com/jp/switch/replacement/index.html).
How to factory reset a Nintendo Switch from System Settings
Use this full initialization for a console you are selling, giving away, disposing of, or deliberately clearing as a last resort. These menu instructions are for the original Switch family.
- From the HOME Menu, open System Settings.
- Scroll down and select System.
- Scroll to the bottom and select Formatting Options.
- Select Initialize Console.
- Read the warning, then select Next.
- Select Initialize to start. Do not turn off the console while it is working.
- When it finishes, follow the initial setup screens if you are keeping the console.
If Parental Controls are enabled, the console may ask for the Parental Control PIN. If you have forgotten it, use Nintendo’s PIN-recovery process rather than choosing a destructive reset as a workaround.
If the console cannot connect to the internet
Nintendo recommends an internet connection because the console attempts to connect to unlink Nintendo Accounts during initialization. If it cannot connect, follow the on-screen offline route: select Next, then Cancel, then Continue. The account itself remains active, but for a console you plan to hand over, an internet connection is preferable when available.
Rank #3
- Play your way with the Nintendo Switch gaming system. Whether you’re at home or on the go, solo or with friends, the Nintendo Switch system is designed to fit your life. Dock your Nintendo Switch to enjoy HD gaming on your TV. Heading out? Just undock your console and keep playing in handheld mode
- This model includes battery life of approximately 4.5 - 9 hours.
- The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (games sold separately)
- Model number HAC 001( 01)
How long does it take?
Nintendo estimates approximately five minutes for full initialization on consoles using system menu version 10.0.0 or higher; allow for variation rather than treating that estimate as a guarantee. See Nintendo’s [North American reset page](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22399/p/989/c/235).
How to reset a Switch without deleting save data
The save-preserving option is accessed through Maintenance Mode, not the ordinary System Settings menu. Use it primarily to troubleshoot a console you intend to keep. It is not suitable as the sole step before selling or gifting because it preserves personal data and account information.
- Turn the console completely off; Sleep Mode is not enough. If it responds, hold POWER for at least three seconds, choose Power Options, then Turn Off.
- With the console off, press and hold Volume Up (+) and Volume Down (-).
- While keeping both volume buttons held, press POWER.
- Continue holding the volume buttons until Maintenance Mode appears.
- Select Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data.
- Read the warning, select Next, then confirm Initialize Console Without Deleting Save Data.
Nintendo says this option preserves save data, screenshots and videos, user information, and Nintendo Account links stored in internal memory. It does not preserve usable installed software data on the microSD card; software may need to be downloaded again, while captures on the card remain accessible. Follow Nintendo’s [frozen-console and Maintenance Mode steps](https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22523/~/nintendo-switch-console-freezes%2C-locks-up%2C-or-will-not-power-off). If the problem continues afterward, Nintendo recommends seeking service.
Rank #4
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- 6.2” LCD screen.
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
When the Switch is frozen: forced shutdown is not a reset
If the display or controls are unresponsive, a forced shutdown can get you back to a clean restart without intentionally erasing data. Hold the POWER button for at least 12 seconds on the standard Switch-family troubleshooting path. In Nintendo’s specific frozen-console procedure for Switch Lite, hold POWER for at least 20 seconds. These are shutdown instructions, not factory-reset instructions.
After the console turns off, press POWER once to start it again. If it freezes repeatedly, try the Maintenance Mode save-preserving initialization above before considering a full initialization. If it will not power on at all, a reset may not address a charging, battery, display, or other hardware fault.
Selling, gifting, or disposing of your Switch
Use full Initialize Console for a handoff, but do it only after required data has been transferred or backed up. Nintendo’s [replacement guidance](https://support.nintendo.com/jp/switch/replacement/index.html) advises transferring needed data first and then initializing the old console.
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Best Value
- One player can use a Joy-Con in each hand
- Two players can each take one
- Multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options (additional Joy-Con sold separately)
- Slip a set of Joy-Con into a Joy-Con grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
- Transfer users and save data to the replacement console, and verify the result. For Animal Crossing: New Horizons, use the dedicated island-transfer service where needed.
- Copy important screenshots and videos, then remove physical game cards and the microSD card.
- Connect the old console to the internet if possible and run System Settings → System → Formatting Options → Initialize Console.
- If the console is broken and cannot be initialized, manage console registrations through your Nintendo Account where possible and change the account password as a precaution. Contact [Nintendo repair service](https://repair.nintendo.com/) for a console that will not boot or has persistent hardware symptoms.
After initialization
If you are keeping the console, expect to choose a language and region, connect to Wi-Fi, set up a local user, and link your Nintendo Account again. You may need to redownload purchased games and DLC, restore compatible saves from a transfer or cloud backup, and reconfigure parental controls, internet and TV settings, and accessories. Re-pair controllers if prompted.
If resetting does not fix the problem
A factory reset is not a cure for every fault. For a console that still boots, try less destructive checks first where appropriate: install an available system update, restart, check whether a particular game or microSD card is associated with the issue, or reset cache rather than all console data. If it cannot charge, display an image, enter Maintenance Mode, or remains unstable after troubleshooting, seek Nintendo service instead of repeating button combinations.
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