Nintendo Switch Orange Screen: What It Means And How To Fix It

Since the dawn of modern computers, it's been a generally-accepted notion that a computer screen is not supposed to turn a solid, pastel color. Most longtime computer users have developed a primal fear of the color blue for this reason. But in modern times, computer-adjacent devices have developed their very own color-based conundrums. Devices like TVs, smartphones, and game consoles have been known to suddenly have their screens turn not just blue but other colors like green or orange.

For example, let's say you're enjoying a game on your Nintendo Switch when all of a sudden, the console's screen flashes bright orange and becomes completely unresponsive. It'd be one thing if the screen turned red since red is kind of Nintendo's shtick, but it's definitely not supposed to be orange, and it's definitely not supposed to be frozen. So, how does this primary-colored mystery happen, and more importantly, what can you do to fix it?

A Nintendo Switch's screen turning orange and freezing is an effectively identical situation to the infamous "Blue Screen of Death," in which a computer's processes completely freeze up and leave you with that signature blue screen. If your Switch screen has turned orange, it means that the console has encountered some manner of critical error, either on the software or hardware side. As a result, it has hard crashed. 

To clarify, this phenomenon only occurs when playing the Switch in handheld mode — the console can freeze while it's docked; you just won't see a colored screen. In the event of an orange screen crash, the only thing you can really do is try a hard reset. Just hold down the small power button on the top of your Switch for 12 seconds until the console powers down, then press it again to boot it back up. Ideally, your Switch should be back to normal and no worse for wear.

If your Switch refuses to boot back up, or you encounter the orange screen repeatedly, then the matter may be out of your hands. In this case, your only option is to send it to Nintendo for repairs.

Visit the Nintendo Repair Center website, log in with your account, and follow the directions. You'll need to describe the problem for Nintendo and fill out some information like how long you've had your Switch and if you've made any modifications to it. Once you've filled out all the necessary details, Nintendo will provide you with a delivery slip you can place on a box to ship your Switch console and any necessary accessories at a post office or shipment service.

If your Switch console is still in its 12-month warranty, Nintendo Support will fix it for free. Otherwise, after it receives your Switch, you'll get an email with a pricing breakdown, at which point you can either confirm the repairs or have it sent back to you at no charge.