Nintendo Switch Major Update Brings A Whole Host Of New Features And Changes

A new firmware update has been introduced for the Nintendo Switch. Update 3.0 adds a whole host of improvements and changes to the system’s UI, as well as new avatars, new features, and fixes to some long standing problems.

Among the new improvements is the ability to add your 3DS and Wii U friends by linking your Nintendo Network ID to your MyNintendo account; the ability to find your Switch controllers in the vicinity by firing a signal to them that makes them vibrate, so you can track them down; the ability to play your controllers wired over USB-C; the ability to subscribe to game specific news feeds; configure and customize your notifications; and far, far, far more.

You can check out the full patch notes for the update below. It’s a hefty update, so it may take some time to download.

Added the following system functionality

• Register a channel to receive News for specific games
  • To register, head to News > Find Channels
• Add friends from your Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Friend Lists
  • To add friends, head to your My Page on the top left of the Home Menu > Friend Suggestions
• Receive notifications when your Friends go online
  • To turn this ON/OFF, head to System Settings > Notifications > Friend Notifications
• Find paired controllers within communication range by activating the vibration feature
  • To search, head to Controllers > Find Controllers
• Change the user icon order on the Home Menu
  • To change order, head to System Settings > Users > Change Order
• Select from 6 new Splatoon 2 characters for user icon
  • To edit your user icon, head to your My Page on the top left of the Home Menu > Profile
• Change the system volume from the Quick Settings
  • To access Quick Settings, hold down the HOME Button
• Lower the maximum volume for headphone or speakers connected to the audio jack
  • To lower the max headphone volume, head to System Settings > System > Lower Max Headphone Volume
    * This settings will be ON when Parental Controls are enabled
• Change display colors to Invert Colors or Grayscale
  • To use this feature, head to System Settings > System > Change Display Colors
• Connect a USB keyboard to the dock to type whenever the keyboard is on the screen
• Use the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller via wired communication by connecting the USB charging cable
  • To enable, head to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Pro Controller Wired Communication
    * The NFC touchpoint on the Pro Controller will be disabled while the controller is using wired communication.
• Update connected controllers
  • To update, head to System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Update Controllers
• Added a feature that suggests deletion of software data if there is insufficient space when downloading other software
  • To use this feature, head to System Settings > Data Management > Quick Archive
    * User save data is not deleted

General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience, including:

• Resolved an issue that caused game software updates to fail and prevented the software from starting

• Improvements to prevent unintended HDMI input change with certain TVs while the console is docked in Sleep Mode