Animal Crossing is one of the most popular games among Nintendo Switch owners. This simulation game lets players build a home, interact with the animal villagers, and create their dream life.
But all this fun can be ruined if the game fails to load or save your progress. In this guide, we’ll show you what you can do when Animal Crossing doesn’t launch.
If you already restarted your console several times, yet the issue persists, follow the steps listed below to fix your game.
What to do if Animal Crossing won’t load
Fix 1 – Turn off Auto-Connect
If you leave the WiFi Auto-Connect feature on, Animal Crossing will continuously try to establish a new connection despite already being connected to the Internet.
The problem is that the console makes multiple connection attempts, and each one remains ongoing whenever a new attempt is made.
Disable the Auto-Connect feature, and your Nintendo Switch console will connect and load much faster.
Fix 2 – Turn on Airplane mode
If you’re in an area with no Internet or a very unstable connection, enable Airplane mode.
Many players confirmed this simple solution worked for them, and it may work for you as well.
Fix 3 – Set your console as your primary system
If you use the same account on multiple devices, make sure the device you’re currently playing Animal Crossing on is set as your account’s primary system.
If you use your account on a system that is not the primary system, the game needs to connect to Nintendo servers and check for ownership to make sure that you own the respective title.
This extra verification step takes time and might also trigger game glitches if your Internet connection is not stable.
To set your current console as your primary system:
- Open the eShop on the other device
- Select your profile icon
- Scroll down and hit the De-register button
- Take your current console and log into the eShop using the same account
- The console that logs first to the eShop will automatically become the new primary device.
Fix 4 – Reinstall the game
You can also delete Animal Crossing and download it again. Keep in mind this is only a workaround.
Many players said the game worked for a while after reinstalling it, but then it stopped loading, and the screen went black.
This black screen loading problem seems to be more prevalent for the digital copies of the game and does not affect the physical copy versions as much.
Fix 5- Contact Nintendo Support
If nothing else worked, feel free to reach out to Nintendo’s Support Team and see what they can do for you.
Give them as much information as possible about this problem to help them find the right solution for you as quickly as possible.
If you want to learn more about Animal Crossing, check out the guides below:
- Animal Crossing: How Long do Meteor Showers Last?
- What flowers attract butterflies in Animal Crossing?
Updated in December 2023.