Nintendo Drops Switch 2 Update With New Mode You’ll Want To Unlock Immediately

A new firmware update hit the Nintendo Switch 2 last week. Among the many small changes is a new feature that will give Switch 1 games a significant improvement.

Version 22.0.0 for Switch 2 went live on March 16 and is available for download on the console. The biggest new feature in the update was the Handheld Mode Boost, which will give Switch 1 games a visual boost when played on the Switch 2 in handheld mode.

What does Handheld Mode Boost do?

Even though Switch 2 supports backwards compatibility with almost all Switch 1 games, there was a problem. The Switch 2 has a higher resolution screen: 1080p compared to the older hardware’s 720p. When you play Switch 1 Switch 2 game in handheld mode, the graphics look blurry and ugly.

When enabled, Handheld Mode Boost makes the Switch 1 game work as if it were docked, so it displays 1080p at 60 frames per second. This will give the visual a quick boost.

How to do Handheld Mode Boost?

Handheld Mode Boost must be enabled to see the effect, and it takes a few steps:

• Select System Settings from the home menu
• Select The program
• Select Nintendo Switch Software Handling
• Empower Portable Mode Boost

Is there a downside to enabling Handheld Mode Boost?

A user on Reddit tested the mode to see how it affects the battery life of the Switch 2. The test ran Doom Eternal on the Switch 1 with and without Handheld Mode Boost. Testing showed that battery life dropped from 5 hours, 5 minutes to 3 hours, 43 minutes. That’s a 27% drop and should be taken into account when using Handheld Mode Boost.

How do I upgrade my Nintendo Switch 2?

If you have Software-Auto-updates enabled on your Switch 2, a pop-up window should appear whenever you start a game. If not, go to System Settings and select update console from the menu.

What other features have been added in version 22.0.0?

Handheld Mode Boost was the main star of the new firmware update, but there were plenty of other changes.

• Changed the on-screen text and animation when loading a virtual game card in AT HOME The menu.
• Added the ability to save notes about friends in your friends list. Note content is not shown to friends.
• Added the ability to invite friends to GameChat rooms you are participating in. Some friends may not be able to be invited, such as supervised accounts.
• Friends who haven’t completed the initial setup of GameChat can now be invited to GameChat. Some friends may not be able to be invited, such as supervised accounts or those who have not used a Nintendo Switch 2.
• Added the ability to rewind 10 seconds/forward 10 seconds with the ZL and ZR buttons when viewing a full-screen video in News or the Nintendo eShop.
• Added option to add the following data to “Auto Load” from The album.
• Text-to-speech, under Access, you can now read the text in the album and during the initial setup.
• Added ability to see storage capacity breakdown by system memory data type and MicroSD Express card.
• Added ability to check sound when “Linear PCM 5.1 Surround” is selected for TV Sound in Sound.
• If Airplane Mode is activated, the preset preferences for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or NFC while in Airplane Mode will be saved and used.
• Added the ability to enable or disable Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or NFC during Airplane mode from Quick Settings.
• Added the ability to see a notification in the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smart device app when a Parental Controls PIN is successfully entered on the console. This can also be set to be an app notification on your smart device.
• General system stability improvements to improve user experience.