Nintendo just put out a rather major software update for the Switch 2. For the first time since launch, Switch 2 players can now force Switch 1 games to operate in their ‘docked' mode while using the Switch 2 in handheld mode, greatly improving the resolution and performance of hundreds of games. 

The latest Switch 2 firmware update adds a new ‘Handheld Mode Boost' feature to the settings menu. When this option is enabled, games released for the Switch 1 being played in handheld or tabletop mode on the newer console will run at the game's ‘docked' settings. The exact results of this toggle will vary from game to game but for the most part, it should allow many sub-HD games on the Switch to actually run at close to 1080p resolution on the Switch 2.

A number of older games will immediately benefit from this. When I first saw this update, I immediately booted up Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and was pleased to find that the game no longer runs at sub-540p resolutions and looks much sharper than before, even without a specific Switch 2 patch.

Unfortunately, Nintendo has not gone as far as Microsoft with an ‘FPS Boost' option, so 30FPS titles still run at their original frame rate targets, but at the very least, many games will now look sharper in handheld mode on the Switch 2.

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KitGuru Says: This is one of those features that I really wanted to see at launch, but at least it still arrived within the console's first year on the market. 

One of Nintendo’s primary strategies with the Switch 2 so far has been to offer upgrades for their last-gen titles – some of which have been free while others cost up to $20 for an upgrade. Sentiment surrounding these Switch 2 editions have been varied, but it appears as though backlash towards their most recent release (Xenoblade Chronicles X) has led Nintendo to begin offering refunds to displeased fans.

In a welcome surprise, Nintendo quietly launched a Switch 2 Edition of Xenoblade Chronicles X last week. Originally released for the Wii U, the title received a relatively basic Switch 1 port quite late into its life and so fans were hoping to see the title get a proper Switch 2 upgrade.

Unfortunately, despite the promise that the title would run at up to 4K60fps on Switch 2 when docked and 1080p 60fps in handheld, many users have expressed their disappointment with the upgrade, comparing it unfavourably to visual clarity achieved when playing the game on a Wii U emulator.

While far from the Switch 2’s most basic Switch 2 Edition, it seems Nintendo might actually be listening to feedback somewhat, with some displeased users claiming that they were able to get refunds after contacting Nintendo support.

Nintendo typically does not offer refunds in this way, and so the fact that users were able to is interesting. Whether the console maker will opt to patch Xenoblade Chronicles X on Switch 2 in the future with additional enhancements however, we will have to wait and see – but don’t expect anything substantial if it does happen.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Nintendo’s Switch 2 Edition upgrades? Which ones have been worth it and which ones feel a bit money-grabby? Let us know your thoughts down below.

Back when the Switch 2 first launched, dataminers had discovered code within Xenoblade Chronicles X that suggested a Switch 2 update was on the way. Nintendo stayed quiet for many months but today, the Switch 2 Edition of the game quietly dropped. 

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, the most recent game in the series to end up on the Nintendo Switch platform, now has an official Switch 2 version. The new version of the game offers higher resolution gameplay, as well as 60FPS performance.

In docked mode, the game will run at up to 4K/60FPS, while in handheld, it will run at the Switch 2's native 1080p resolution, again at 60FPS, a huge improvement over the previous Switch 1 and Wii U versions of the game.

Unfortunately, Nintendo has not yet revealed any plans to update the other Xenoblade Chronicles games for the Switch 2. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would all benefit greatly from a resolution bump and a frame rate boost on the newer console, as they can all reach sub-HD resolutions in handheld and docked mode in their current form, resulting in a very blurry image.

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KitGuru Says: I've been waiting to play through the full series again on Switch 2, but the updates are unfortunately arriving very slowly. Now with Xenoblade Chronicles X out of the way, I hope we won't have to wait too much longer for the remaining games to get updates.