diff --git a/source/gfx/SplashScreenDrawer.cpp b/source/gfx/SplashScreenDrawer.cpp
index 5d8f3ae..4f5c57b 100644
--- a/source/gfx/SplashScreenDrawer.cpp
+++ b/source/gfx/SplashScreenDrawer.cpp
@@ -102,6 +102,19 @@ constexpr uint8_t s_texturePixelShaderCompiled[] = {
         0x65, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
         0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00};
 
+/** empty png as fallback */
+uint8_t empty_png[119] = {
+        0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0D,
+        0x49, 0x48, 0x44, 0x52, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02,
+        0x08, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xFD, 0xD4, 0x9A, 0x73, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00,
+        0x01, 0x73, 0x52, 0x47, 0x42, 0x00, 0xAE, 0xCE, 0x1C, 0xE9, 0x00, 0x00,
+        0x00, 0x04, 0x67, 0x41, 0x4D, 0x41, 0x00, 0x00, 0xB1, 0x8F, 0x0B, 0xFC,
+        0x61, 0x05, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x09, 0x70, 0x48, 0x59, 0x73, 0x00, 0x00,
+        0x16, 0x25, 0x00, 0x00, 0x16, 0x25, 0x01, 0x49, 0x52, 0x24, 0xF0, 0x00,
+        0x00, 0x00, 0x0C, 0x49, 0x44, 0x41, 0x54, 0x18, 0x57, 0x63, 0x40, 0x02,
+        0x0C, 0x0C, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0E, 0x00, 0x01, 0x7A, 0xB1, 0xB9, 0x30, 0x00,
+        0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x49, 0x45, 0x4E, 0x44, 0xAE, 0x42, 0x60, 0x82};
+
 static GX2Texture *LoadImageAsTexture(std::string_view path) {
     std::vector<uint8_t> buffer;
     if (LoadFileIntoBuffer(std::string(path).append("splash.png"), buffer)) {
@@ -115,7 +128,7 @@ static GX2Texture *LoadImageAsTexture(std::string_view path) {
             return texture;
         }
     }
-    return nullptr;
+    return PNG_LoadTexture(empty_png);
 }
 
 SplashScreenDrawer::SplashScreenDrawer(std::string_view splash_base_path) {
diff --git a/source/main.cpp b/source/main.cpp
index dd01ca9..c669a3e 100644
--- a/source/main.cpp
+++ b/source/main.cpp
@@ -17,16 +17,12 @@ int32_t main(int32_t argc, char **argv) {
         basePath = argv[0];
     }
 
-    if (existsAsFile(basePath + "/splash.png") || existsAsFile(basePath + "/splash.tga")) {
-        GfxInit();
-        {
-            SplashScreenDrawer splashScreenDrawer(basePath + "/");
-            splashScreenDrawer.Draw();
-        }
-        GfxShutdown();
-    } else {
-        DEBUG_FUNCTION_LINE_INFO("No splash.png or splash.tga found in \"%s\". Skipping splash screen.", basePath.c_str());
+    GfxInit();
+    {
+        SplashScreenDrawer splashScreenDrawer(basePath + "/");
+        splashScreenDrawer.Draw();
     }
+    GfxShutdown();
 
     deinitLogging();
 
diff --git a/source/utils/utils.h b/source/utils/utils.h
index 8f2ab93..8fe92b9 100644
--- a/source/utils/utils.h
+++ b/source/utils/utils.h
@@ -6,14 +6,3 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 bool LoadFileIntoBuffer(std::string_view path, std::vector<uint8_t> &buffer);
-
-static inline bool existsAsFile(std::string_view path) {
-    struct stat st {};
-    if (stat(path.data(), &st) >= 0 && S_ISREG(st.st_mode)) {
-        DEBUG_FUNCTION_LINE_VERBOSE("\"%s\" exists", path.data());
-        return true;
-    } else {
-        DEBUG_FUNCTION_LINE_VERBOSE("\"%s\" doesn't exists", path.data());
-    }
-    return false;
-}
\ No newline at end of file