What Does The Nintendo Switch Orange Screen Of Death Mean & How Do You Fix It?

Orange might not be the first color that comes to mind when you think of Nintendo, but it usually spells out one of two things for Switch players. Either you're going for a dive in the Nintendo eShop to find some deals on games and waiting for it to load (as seen above), or you've potentially just hit a patch of rough luck with your console. You'll know if it's the latter: you were using your Switch in handheld mode or playing on the portable Switch Lite when you were interrupted by a sudden wall of bright orange. This is known colloquially as the orange screen of death.

The Nintendo Switch's orange screen of death happens when your console freezes and crashes. A solid tangerine screen will appear blocking out whatever you were doing. You'll lose your game progress and be forced to restart your device just to use it again.

Despite the name, the error isn't necessarily fatal, and you might be able to fix it yourself. According to Nintendo, you can try fixing your Switch's orange screen of death — or any other colors the console might get stuck on — by soft resetting the console. You should also check to see if its software is up-to-date and perform any necessary updates. If neither of these methods work, then you'll need to return your Switch directly to Nintendo for repairs.

Nintendo's first suggestion for getting past the orange screen of death is to perform a hard reset on your Switch. Hard resets force your device to restart regardless of its other processes. You can do this while your console's display is orange. The name sounds dramatic, but don't worry — it won't wipe your data back to the factory default. Resetting your Switch is fairly straightforward:

1. Navigate to the power button on your Switch. It's in the same place across all LCD, OLED, and Lite models. It's on the top of your machine, towards the left as you face it, next to the volume buttons.

2. Hold the button down for at least 10 seconds, then release.

3. Wait for the console to boot back up. If it doesn't come back on automatically, switch it on yourself with the power button.

Hopefully, your console should play ball once it comes back on, and you should be able to go back to using magical wisdom to solve puzzles in "The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom", cross-examining parrots in "Ace Attorney", or wherever else your Switch might take you. But, before you dive back into Hyrule, check if your Switch's software needs updating.

1. Boot your Switch up and unlock it.

2. Navigate to System Settings on the Home menu and select it. It's the onscreen cog icon underneath the list of software.

3. Select System. You can find this by scrolling to the end of System Settings.

4. Select System Update. Your device will check for updates and install them if they're available.

Still seeing that dreaded orange screen after trying everything above? It's probably time for a professional to take a look at your console. There might be an underlying problem or fault causing the system to crash. In this case, you won't be able to fix your Switch by yourself.

Thankfully, Nintendo offers a repair service for the Switch that you can book online, so sending it off for diagnostics and repairs isn't too complicated. You just need to log a few details about your hardware, the problem you're having, and provide some contact details. Per Nintendo America's help center, you can send off your console for repairs after troubleshooting by following these steps.

1. Head to the Customer Support page.

2. Log into your Nintendo account or continue as a guest.

3. Provide your Switch's serial number.

4. Fill out all product and personal details needed, such as your Switch's model and your shipping address.

5. Agree to the terms and conditions.

6. Click continue and make any payments as needed. If your Switch is still in warranty, this should be free.

7. Ship your Switch off to Nintendo in the mail and keep an eye on the Nintendo Repair Center for any updates on your repairs.

Once your Switch is in Nintendo's hands, they should fix the problem with your console. After that, the fateful orange screen of death should be a thing of the past, allowing you to jump back in and enjoy uninterrupted gaming.