Nintendo Switch doesn’t recognize a cartridge or microSD card. How can this problem be fixed?

If the Switch stops recognizing cartridges or memory cards, the causes can range from simple to serious:

For cartridges:

Dirty contacts — dust, oil, or oxidation can interfere with reading

Poor contact in the slot — wear or damage to the connector

Damaged cartridge — test it on another console

What to do:

Gently clean the cartridge contacts with a dry, lint-free cloth or cotton swab

Test the cartridge on another console, or try inserting a different one to rule out a game issue

If the problem affects all games, the slot may be broken and require service

For microSD cards:

The card may be in the wrong format or damaged

Switch supports microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC (up to 2 TB), but requires formatting in exFAT

Cheap or counterfeit cards often cause errors

What to do:

Format the card in exFAT on a PC and reinsert it

Check it on a computer with H2testw for errors

Try a different card (SanDisk/Samsung Class 10 UHS-I recommended)

If the console doesn’t recognize even working cards, the microSD slot itself may be faulty