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Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 firmware update 22.0.0 released

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Both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 have received a major firmware update, bumping the systems to version 22.0.0. Though the changes made to the original Switch console are minimal, the Switch 2 got a surprising new addition in in Handheld Game Boost. For the price of higher power usage when in handheld mode, you're now able to have non-upgraded Switch games believe they're playing in docked mode when on the go. Through this you'll see a bump to the targeted resolution in many games, with many now making use of the Switch 2's 1080p display.

When making use of this feature, attached Joy Cons will be interpreted as a Pro Controller. Though this will be compatible with the majority of games, some notable titles like the Pokemon Let's Go games will not function properly due to a lack of support. At this time there is no per-game toggle, requiring you to head into your settings to disable the boost. This new option can be found at the bottom of the System tab in System Settings.

The full changelog for both systems can be found below:

Nintendo Switch 2:
Ver. 22.0.0 (Released March 16, 2026)
  • Changed the on-screen text and animations when you load a virtual game card in the HOME Menu.
  • Added the ability to save notes about friends on your Friend List. The note content is not displayed to friends.
  • Added the ability to see and edit these notes from the Nintendo Switch App. The app must be on version 3.3.0 or higher to use this feature.
  • The following features were added to support GameChat:
    • Added the ability to invite friends to GameChat rooms you’re participating in. Some friends may not be able to be invited, such as supervised accounts.
    • Friends that haven't finished GameChat initial setup can now be invited to GameChat. Some friends may not be able to be invited, such as supervised accounts or those who haven’t used a Nintendo Switch 2.
    • It may take a while for this change to be reflected after updating your console to system version 22.0.0.
    • Improvements were made to the quality of the game screen shared in a GameChat when expanded.
  • Added the ability to rewind 10 seconds/advance 10 seconds with the ZL and ZR Buttons when watching a full screen video in News or Nintendo eShop.
  • Added the option to add the following data to “Automatic Uploads” from Album.
  • Clip Video, Video saved as a screenshot, and screenshot with added text.
  • Added Portuguese (Portugal) and Russian to “GameChat Voice ⇔ Speech to Text” languages in Accessibility.
  • Text-to-Speech, under Accessibility, can now read the text in Album and during first-time setup.
    • Please see Nintendo Switch 2 First-Time Setup and Connection for instructions on how to turn text-to-speech on in the first-time setup.
  • Added the ability to see the breakdown of storage capacity by data type for the system memory and microSD Express card.
  • Added the ability to perform an audio test when “Linear PCM 5.1 Surround” is selected for TV Sound in Audio.
  • Changed the "Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea" region to "Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea/South East Asia" in Device.
  • Added “Handheld Mode Boost” to Nintendo Switch Software Handling in System.
    • Handheld Mode Boost will cause compatible Switch software to run as if in TV Mode, so certain functionality may be affected. Please see the on-device description for more details.
  • The following features were added to Airplane Mode:
    • When Airplane Mode is activated, the previously set preferences for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC while in Airplane Mode will be saved and applied.
    • Added the ability to individually enable or disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC during Airplane Mode from the Quick Settings.
  • Added the ability to see a notification in the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smart device application when the Parental Controls PIN is input successfully on the console. This can also be set up to be a push notification to your smart device.
    • The app must be on version 2.4.0 or higher to use this functionality.
  • General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.
Nintendo Switch:
22.0.0 (Release date: March 17, 2026)
  • We have adjusted the guidance and visuals when inserting a virtual game card in the HOME menu.
  • We've added a feature to the "Friend List" on your My Page that allows you to save personal notes for each friend.
    • The contents of your notes will not be visible to your friends or other users.
  • You can also view and edit notes in the "Friends" section of the Nintendo Switch App smartphone app.
    • You need to update the Nintendo Switch App to version 3.3.0 or higher.
  • The Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smartphone app now displays a message indicating that the parental control password has been successfully entered on the console.
    • You will need to update 'Nintendo Parental Controls for Switch' to version 2.4.0 or later (scheduled for release at a later date).
    • You can also receive a push notification on your smartphone when you successfully enter the PIN for the monitoring settings.
  • We have fixed several issues and improved operational stability.
Click to expand...

This is the first major update since the retirement of SciresM. As always, it is advised to wait before updating your Nintendo Switch as this new firmware has been reported to break Atmosphere.

:arrow: Nintendo Switch Update Information
:arrow: Nintendo Switch 2 Update Information
 
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DiscostewSM said:
I wasn't sure which one you meant, but regardless, XCX DE in boost mode looks superior to the Sw2 upgrade when comparing portable mode. The upgrade runs at 60fps, but man does it look uh-glee! Check the video below at around marker 2:15 when they start going over XCX DE.

Click to expand...

I'd love to see someone make a list of the games that benefit the most from this, as I have a good collection of 30+ games on cartridge for the Switch.
 
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Wow I just woke up and look what we got here....Im amazed by Nintendo...like really...:blink:

PS: Hmm it seems this mode cancels the touchscreen fonction, it might be problematic/weird for some game like Okami and some others....but it really makes a big difference like "goodbye to blurry game"!
 
Last edited by rudras,
honesly we were kinda spoiled by the easy hacking of nintendo systems from ds to switch most have had a big fault that allowed hacking. i mean if you look back the vita was one of the worst systems to get hacked it TOOK Years to get hacked.
 
rudras said:
Wow I just woke up and look what we got here....Im amazed by Nintendo...like really...:blink:

PS: Hmm it seems this mode cancels the touchscreen fonction, it might be problematic/weird for some game like Okami and some others....but it really makes a big difference like "goodbye to blurry game"!
Click to expand...
Even without this cool feature, my switch 1 games play much better on my switch 2.
 
Doesn't even matter as far as modded Switch 1 goes. There's like one big game left. No need to update unless a person wants to update sysMMC to play online.

Bigger and far better news is the PS5 Pro's PSSR update that released last night.
 
PKM190 said:
I assume any updates would be released in the regular Atmosphere github page? Looks promising.
Click to expand...

Yep, they have a draft pull request already set up.

VioletRose said:
Doesn't even matter as far as modded Switch 1 goes.
Click to expand...

It matters for people who still like to use Homebrew on their sysMMC, mainly for save backups and whatnot.
 
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Its retarded that it cant just use the gpu to upscale and not fuck about with some bs emulation that cant class your joy con as a fucking joy con.
 
Retrojunkies said:
Its retarded that it cant just use the gpu to upscale and not fuck about with some bs emulation that cant class your joy con as a fucking joy con.
Click to expand...
Might want to tone it down a notch. People might think you have absolutely no idea how these things work.
 
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Leen said:
honesly we were kinda spoiled by the easy hacking of nintendo systems from ds to switch most have had a big fault that allowed hacking. i mean if you look back the vita was one of the worst systems to get hacked it TOOK Years to get hacked.
Click to expand...

and this is when the GOAT theFlow is still active in the hacking scene, if there’s another PSP3 down the line I don’t think its gonna get hacked either since theFlow have been moving away over the years
 
Necron said:
I read this in another site, only for Switch 2



Like, that is big! many games will benefit from this and I think they would never do this. Playing FF12 would be a lot better now.

Source
Click to expand...
Been doing this with reverse nx for months. I think they're getting inspiration from tthe homebrew community. Then again some of the exclusive features to the Switch 2 shouldn't be, like per game remapping for e.g. They're just being mean to Switch 1 owners.
 
KingVamp said:
I'm sure they will eventually update it to fix the weird stuff, like the touchscreen not working.
Click to expand...
no they won’t, because this is basically switching the game to docked mode, and in docked the touchscreen doesn’t work. Its not a bug.

nintendo even give you this warning when you turn on the boost mode. probably why they didn’t really “advertise” this feature since some kid will complain why their game is behaving weirdly
 
whitesword7 said:
no they won’t, because this is basically switching the game to docked mode, and in docked the touchscreen doesn’t work. Its not a bug.

nintendo even give you this warning when you turn on the boost mode. probably why they didn’t really “advertise” this feature since some kid will complain why their game is behaving weirdly
Click to expand...
Hehe, "kids".
 

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