While glitches can often be frustrating and interrupt gameplay, they aren’t always bad. In some cases they end up being harmless fun or even lead developers to create better games. By learning all about Nintendo Switch glitches in this guide, you can troubleshoot problems when they occur and perhaps even appreciate the positive side of these coding curiosities. So power on your Switch, make sure it’s updated to the latest firmware, grab your Joy-Cons, and let’s get started exploring the world of Nintendo Switch glitching!
Most Common Nintendo Switch Glitches
While individual games each have their own unique glitches, there are a handful of widespread glitches that commonly impact Nintendo Switch consoles as a whole. Here are some of the most frequently reported Nintendo Switch glitches.
Joy-Con Desyncing
One of the most well-known Nintendo Switch glitches is when the Joy-Con controllers will randomly disconnect or desync from the console while playing wirelessly. This can be incredibly disruptive mid-game. It appears to be related to wireless interference and Bluetooth connectivity issues.
Game Freezing or Crashing
Games suddenly freezing up or crashing back to the Switch home screen is another very common glitch. While this can be caused by problems with the game card or download files, it’s often a system resource issue. Restarting and closing other apps may help.
Errors Entering/Exiting Sleep Mode
Some Switch users encounter glitches when the console is trying to wake up from sleep mode or go into sleep mode, leaving the screen stuck on a black or white display. Forcing a hard reboot typically resolves this glitch.
System File Corruption
On occasion system data like game save files or digital downloads can become corrupted on the Switch’s internal storage, leading to glitches and other odd behavior. Deleting the affected data and redownloading usually helps.
Graphical Artifacts and Texture Issues
Graphical glitches like textures failing to load, objects turning invisible, or artifacts appearing on-screen tend to show up when a game taxes the Switch’s hardware, but can sometimes indicate a problem with the game or system files.
While these are some of the most widespread technical glitches, individual games also have their own unique glitches which we’ll learn more about later. If you experience any of these common glitches on your Nintendo Switch, don’t panic – there are solutions available.
Steps to Reduce Glitches on Your Nintendo Switch
While glitches will always be an unavoidable aspect of gaming technology, there are things you can do to try and reduce their frequency on your Nintendo Switch:
- Keep the system and games updated – Install system software and game updates which often contain fixes for known glitches.
- Give the console proper ventilation – Prevent overheating by keeping air vents clear to allow airflow and avoid enclosing it tightly.
- Use recommended accessories – Stick to licensed Switch accessories like chargers to avoid connectivity or power issues.
- Close background apps when not in use – This frees up system resources that could be contributing to glitches.
- Restart regularly and clear cached data – Power cycling and clearing temporary data helps prevent memory issues.
- Avoid physical damage – Drops, bumps, and extreme temperatures can disrupt hardware and cause glitches, so handle the Switch gently.
While you can’t avoid every glitch, following best practice usage and care guidelines can go a long way towards keeping glitches and errors at a minimum on your Nintendo Switch.
Of course, not every glitch turns out to be problematic. In fact, some glitches end up being legendary among gamers. Let’s look at some of the most famous Nintendo Switch glitches next.
Strange and Famous Nintendo Switch Glitches
While glitches are often unpredictable coding mishaps, some of them take on lives of their own and end up becoming iconic parts of gaming history. Here are some of the strangest and most famous glitches to have graced the Nintendo Switch:
Super Mario Odyssey Taxi Warp
This glitch takes advantage of polygons clipping through boundaries to warp Mario absurd distances, completing levels of this 3D platformer in seconds. It ended up saving speedrunners hours.
Skyrim Swing Set Flinging
Skyrim’s wonky physics allows players to fling themselves huge distances by walking into objects while sprinting. Having this open-world game break so spectacularly gave it a meme-worthy glitch.
FIFA Pro Clubs Clone Glitch
A bizarre glitch in FIFA 19 created clone versions of player characters during online Pro Club matches. Seeing two identical players on the field totally broke realism but provided laughs.
Splatoon 2 Item Duplication
Players figured out how to rapidly duplicate in-game items and currency by lagging the connection on purpose at precise moments. The cheat ended up flooding the game economy.
Yoshi Mid-Air Hovering
Yoshi gains the ability to endlessly float in mid-air by jumping and immediately dismounting. This glitchy maneuver isn’t intended but has become central to speedrunning strategies.
Part of what makes these glitches so memorable is that they allow players to see their favorite games in completely new lights. In fact, some gamers even hunt down glitches on purpose.
How to Find and Perform Glitches in Games
For those interested in discovering the bounds of how games work, tracking down obscure glitches and executing them can become its own pursuit akin to solving puzzles. Here are some tips for seeking out glitches:
- Search gaming forums, YouTube, and wikis – Fellow gamers will document the steps for newly found glitches.
- Experiment in-game and push boundaries – Trying unconventional things can reveal where systems break.
- Note precise button sequences – Unique timing or combinations lead to glitches.
- Save first – Have a backup save point so you don’t lose progress.
- Repeat areas under different conditions – Changing factors like load order, inventory, or character selection can trigger glitches.
- Explore everywhere – Glitch-prone spots are often tucked in corners developers didn’t expect players to access.
Discovering your own new glitches and successfully performing known ones does take patience and perseverance. There are also some ethical considerations to keep in mind.
Ethical Concerns Around Video Game Glitching
While uncovering glitches can be exciting and expose fascinating aspects of games, it also raises some ethical questions that conscientious gamers should consider:
- Cheating in multiplayer games – Intentionally glitching to gain an unfair advantage over other real players damages the experience.
- Avoiding true gameplay – Overusing major sequence breaks means skipping content that developers worked hard on.
- Developers work hard to patch exploits – Taking advantage of glitches that compromise a game and require fixing does negatively impact others.
- Use discretion when choosing to glitch – Not all glitches have equal impacts, so weigh carefully whether a specific glitch usage undermines a game’s intended design before utilizing it.
- Report significant glitches – Alerting developers to major glitches they likely want to patch benefits the community.
Like any powerful discovery, deciding how and when to use glitches comes with ethical responsibilities. This is especially important in the world of competitive gaming, as we’ll explore next.
Notable Glitch Speedrunning Categories
The community of gamers who speedrun titles, attempting to complete them as fast as possible, often have a complex relationship with glitches. Here are some ways glitches show up in speedrunning:
- Any % runs utilize major glitches – This category is about finishing the game by any means necessary, so major sequence breaks are allowed.
- Glitched/Non-glitched separate categories – Many games have distinct categories to cater to those who want to or don’t want to use major glitches.
- Tool-Assisted Superplay for complex glitches – Some extremely complex glitches are only possible with emulators and memory manipulation tools.
- Banning overly disruptive glitches – If a new glitch completely breaks a game, speedrun moderators may temporarily ban it to preserve competition until it is patched.
- No Restrictions runs for total glitching freedom – This uncommon category places no limits at all on what glitches can be used for fastest times.
The careful consideration speedrun moderators give to which glitches are allowed reveals the nuance required in properly leveraging these coding quirks for fair competitive play.
Why Glitches Can Sometimes Be Fun and Harmless
It’s understandable why glitches have a negative connotation – they are ultimately bugs arising from unintended software flaws. However, not every glitch has to ruin the gaming experience. Here are some ways glitches can be harmless or even add value when used deliberately:
- Lets players experience the game differently – Finding new ways to play shakes up monotony and surprises even seasoned players.
- Uncover hidden or unfinished content – Some glitches reveal unused assets and developer secrets buried in the code.
- Provides challenge to expert players – Successfully executing precise glitches tests skill for those seeking a harder game.
- Creates humorous or absurdist situations – The unpredictable results of glitches can end up being quite silly and light-hearted.
- Give insight into how games function – Pushing systems to their limits exposes how all the underlying mechanics operate.
Yes, glitches originate from software issues, but they allow players to creatively approach games and view them from fascinating new angles that the developers themselves may have never imagined.
Conclusion and Summary
To summarize, glitches occur in the Nintendo Switch and its games when errors in the extensive software code cause unintended behavior in the hardware and systems. While glitches can often be disruptive when they hamper gameplay or cause crashes, they’re generally caused by the system being pushed to its technical limits rather than any single fault. With robust technical troubleshooting and a bit of patience, the most common Nintendo Switch glitches can usually be resolved or avoided altogether.