No, it’s not Game and Watch messing around. The Smash Bros. Ultimate black screen glitch is causing many a fighter to throw away a battle thanks to its regularity and tendency to appear out of nowhere. So, is there a Smash Ultimate black screen fix? Kinda, but it’s not ideal. Read on down below if you want to know how to fix the Smash Ultimate black screen glitch.
What is the Smash Ultimate Black Screen Error?
Simply put, it’s not good. Players who have suffered from it will know what I’m talking about. The screen will immediately go black for 10-15 seconds or, jarringly, flicker between black and playing Smash Ultimate. No, it’s not Hideo Kojima playing tricks, though it’s a glitch you’d rather not replicate any time soon if you can help it.
Is There a Smash Ultimate Black Screen Fix?
While there’s been nothing official from Nintendo, there are a couple of things you can do to immediately alleviate the issue, though you’ve got to hope you’re not playing Smash Ultimate online otherwise you’ll be in a bit of a pickle.
The first thing you want to do is pause the game (if you can) and immediately undock your Switch. So, no matter what is happening on your TV, you’ll stop the Smash Ultimate black screen problem straight away. From there, you can re-dock it (which should work wonders) or simply play on your Switch in portable mode to play it safe. Not ideal for someone who wants to use a Pro Controller or the GameCube Controller, but needs must.
You can also play around with your HDMI cable. Re-inserting it after removing it could do the trick, but there also might be a faulty connection. It’s not a problem exclusive to Smash Ultimate, or even the Switch. I’ve had trouble with it myself on PS4. Buying a high-quality, new HDMI cable may help remedy the black screen sitch.
The Nintendo Support page also recommends holding down the power button for 12 seconds or more, but only do that if you’re sure the console has frozen and the above black screen solutions haven’t worked.
