When I covered the Switch 2’s version 22.0.0 update back in March, I said most console updates are forgettable lists of bug fixes and that one bucked the trend with Handheld Mode Boost. Version 23.0.0 is out today, and the big addition is VRR support in TV mode, which the Switch 2 has only offered in handheld through NVIDIA G-SYNC until now. If both the game and your TV support it, the refresh rate output adjusts to the software’s performance, though you’ll need to run a dock firmware update first. The new VRR settings live under Display in System Settings, where “Dock Output Information” has been renamed “Video Output Information” and now includes details about the connected TV.
System transfer between two Switch 2 consoles is the other major one, found under System Settings > System, and it pairs with a new Virtual Game Cards settings option on the HOME Menu where you can review and edit which of your consoles can use them. Nintendo also added a fallback for when a virtual game card can’t be ejected from another console because it’s powered off or offline: you’ll now get a prompt to start the game using an online license, though only the account that bought the game can use it that way.
Handheld Mode Boost picks up two changes as well, since it can now be toggled on or off from Quick Settings without digging into System Settings, and other controllers now work while it’s active even with Joy-Con 2 controllers attached. GameChat gets its usual round of tweaks too. The list of joinable chats now shows ones you’ve previously joined, you can start a new chat without inviting anyone, and the C Button menu during a chat has a new screen size option. Portuguese (Brazil) has been added to both text to speech and GameChat’s Display Speech as Text languages.
The rest of the list is smaller stuff, but there’s a lot of it. Audio settings can now be saved separately for each connected TV, you can generate a QR Code to share a Mii, music plays while you create or edit one, and adjusting the Play Console Wake-Up Sound volume in TV Mode now plays the sound immediately so you can hear what you’re setting. Play activity under your profile also combines play time for the same game across multiple consoles, though only for software played after the update, so existing hours on a second console stay separate. Both the console and dock updates are available now.
Ver. 23.0.0 (Released 10 September, 2026)
- The following updates have been made to GameChat:
- The list of chats you can join now shows chats you have previously joined.
- When starting a new chat, you can now enter without inviting any friends.
- Added an option to the menu that appears when you press the C Button during a chat that lets you change the screen size.
- Added a settings option to Virtual Game Cards on the HOME Menu.
- Here you can review and edit which of your consoles can use virtual game cards, among other options.
- Added support for VRR (variable refresh rate) in TV mode.
- If supported by both the software and your TV, the refresh rate output will be adjusted based on the software’s performance.
- A Nintendo Switch 2 dock update is required to enable this feature.
- Added the ability to perform a system transfer from a Nintendo Switch 2 console to another Nintendo Switch 2 console.
- The following updates have been made under Accessibility in System Settings:
- Added Portuguese (Brazil) to the available text to speech languages.
- Added Portuguese (Brazil) to the GameChat “Display Speech as Text” languages.
- The following updates have been made under Audio in System Settings:
- Added the option to save settings separately for each connected TV.
- The following updates have been made under Display in System Settings:
- Renamed “Dock Output Information” to “Video Output Information”, which now includes details about connected TV outputs.
- Added settings for VRR.
- The following updates have been made under Mii in System Settings:
- Added a feature that lets you create a QR Code for a Mii and share it with other users.
- The following updates have been made under Sleep Mode in System Settings:
- Choosing the volume for Play Console Wake-Up Sound in TV Mode now causes the sound to play immediately so that you can check the volume level.
- Added the ability to enable or disable “Handheld Mode Boost” under Quick Settings.
- System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2 has been added under System Settings > System.
- When starting software, if a virtual game card cannot be ejected from another console because it is powered off or otherwise not connected to the internet, there will be a prompt to start the software using an online license.
- Only the user who purchased the software can play it using the online license.
- Music can now be played while creating or editing a Mii.
- You can change or stop the music using the Music Settings in the top corner of the screen.
- You can now use other controllers during Handheld Mode Boost while Joy-Con 2 controllers are attached to the console.
- Play activity, found under Profile on your user page, now combines play time for the same software across multiple consoles.
- The combined times will be displayed in order, starting with software played after the update.
- General system stability improvements have been made to enhance the user’s experience.
