Why Won’t My 3DS Turn On?

Your 3DS won’t turn on due to a variety of reasons, including a dead battery, faulty power button, or hardware issues, which can be resolved by trying simple troubleshooting steps such as recharging the battery, checking the power button, or performing a system reset. By identifying the root cause of the problem, you can apply the appropriate fix to get your 3DS up and running again, whether it’s a simple solution like recharging the battery or a more complex issue requiring professional repair.

Understanding the Issue

To diagnose the problem, it’s essential to understand the different types of issues that can cause a 3DS to fail to turn on, including soft brick and hard brick situations, which require different approaches to resolve. A soft brick occurs when the 3DS can still turn on, but you can’t do anything with it, while a hard brick is when the 3DS won’t turn on at all, often requiring more extensive troubleshooting and repair.

Troubleshooting Steps

Before seeking professional help, try some basic troubleshooting steps, such as recharging the battery, checking the power button, and performing a system reset, to see if you can resolve the issue on your own. If your 3DS is not turning on, try pressing and holding the POWER Button down until the system resets, which may take some time, and then press the POWER Button once to turn it back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the Black Screen of Death?

The Black Screen of Death is not actually a screen, but rather the 3DS’s normal look when it’s shut off, which can occur when the system is stuck in sleep mode and unaware that you’ve opened it up.

Q2: How do I force start my 3DS?

To force start your 3DS, press and hold the POWER Button down until the system resets, which may take some time, and then press the POWER Button once to turn it back on.

Q3: Why will my 3DS XL not turn on?

Your 3DS XL may not turn on due to a damaged power button, which can be checked by pressing the power button to see if the green or red LED light turns on.

Q4: How do you know if you bricked your 3DS?

A bricked 3DS can be either a soft brick or a hard brick, with a soft brick being fixable and a hard brick requiring more extensive repair.

Q5: What does a bricked 3DS mean?

A bricked device is a mobile device, game console, router, computer, or other consumer electronic device that is no longer functional due to corrupted firmware, hardware problems, or other damage.

Q6: Is 3DS piracy illegal?

Yes, video game piracy is illegal, and Nintendo opposes those who benefit and trade off the creative work of game developers, artists, animators, musicians, motion capture artists, and others.

Q7: How do I wake up my 3DS?

To wake up your 3DS, press the POWER Button to turn on the system, and if the system is on and the screens do not turn on, press and hold the POWER Button to turn it off first.

Q8: How long does it take to charge a dead 3DS?

It takes about 3 ½ hours to fully charge the battery pack with the power off, although this will vary depending on how much charge is left in the battery when the recharge begins.

Q9: Do 3DS batteries go bad?

Yes, the battery inside your 3DS can swell, leak, and in theory explode due to dumb charging issues, such as using it while it’s charging or not letting it die fully before charging.

Q10: Is the Black Screen of Death fixable?

Sometimes, you can resolve a black screen on Windows 10 or 11 by rebooting your device, but in serious cases, you may need to perform a system restore or reinstall the operating system.

Q11: What to do if 3DS crashes?

Try applying the latest system update and see if the issue improves, and if the system only freezes when using a specific game or application downloaded from the eShop, check the eShop for an update.

Q12: Is it the Black Screen of Death or the Blue Screen of Death?

The blue screen error is not fatal to your machine, but might turn out to be annoying if you get interrupted while performing some task, while the black screen error happens mostly because of a faulty device driver, hardware defect, or Windows software error.

Q13: Can you turn on a 3DS while charging?

Yes, your system can be played while it is charging.

Q14: How long does a 3DS take to turn on?

A 3DS takes roughly 8 seconds to load up.

Q15: What is the orange light on 3DS?

An orange light indicates that the system is charging, which does not mean that the system will turn on immediately.