How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on Nintendo DS

By Jasmine Haryana

Updated September 22, 2017

Items you will need

  • Nintendo DS or DS Lite

  • Stylus

  • Flash card

The Nintendo DS offers users a high-speed, visually rich small-screen gaming experience. Occasionally, users may notice a tiny spot on the screen "sticking" a single color due to memory-intensive animations, unevenly distributed liquid below the screen, or even the occasional factory flaw. Depending on the cause of your stuck pixel, there are some measures you can take to fix the problem and return to a flawless gaming experience.

Clean your Nintendo DS screen. Sometimes, what appears to be a stuck pixel is simply residue such as minuscule dirt, grime or glitter stuck to the screen. Use a damp (but not wet) washcloth to gently clean the screen to ensure that the speck does not leave a permanent mark.

Contact Nintendo support by calling (800) 255-3700 or by using the Nintendo Customer Service online form (see Resources below). Request a replacement DS for a stuck or dead pixel if your device is still under warranty.

Determine if your pixel is "stuck" or "dead." Stuck pixels usually will remain white or colored, whereas dead pixels tend to appear black in color most of the time. Attempts at fixing stuck pixels will not work if the pixel is truly dead, usually due to a faulty transistor.

Load a portion of a game with an animated movie sequence. Gently rub the screen with the stylus while the animation plays.

Attempt to unstick the pixel by applying direct and gentle pressure to the affected area. Turn off the DS monitor and with a slightly damp soft cloth, apply pressure directly to the stuck pixel. Turn on the DS as you hold the pressure in that spot, but do not apply pressure elsewhere on the screen or the unit. Count to ten and release the pressure.

Download a free color cycler such as Kleevah's Nintendo DS LCD Tester (see Resources below). Follow the installation instructions and load the color cycler onto your flash card to run on your DS. Color cyclers will flash red, green and blue colors to attempt to unstick pixels.

Warnings

Never apply intense pressure to your DS screen or hardware.

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