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A new firmware update has arrived Nintendo Switch 2 Last week. Among the many small changes is a new feature that will give Switch 1 games a noticeable upgrade.
Version 22.0.0 for Converter 2 It was launched on March 16 and is available to download on console. The big new feature in the update was Handheld Mode Boost, which will give Switch 1 games a visual boost when played on Switch 2 in handheld mode.
(Nintendo Switch 2 system update)
Version 22.0.0 adds “Enhanced Portable Mode”. This will make Switch 1 games think they’re in TV mode even when they’re handheld.
Games can be played at higher resolutions in TV mode, making better use of the Switch 2’s 1080p display. pic.twitter.com/aXOKWosFAw– OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) March 17, 2026
Although the Switch 2 supports backward compatibility with almost all Switch 1 games, there was a problem. The Switch 2 has a higher resolution screen: 1080p versus 720p for older devices. When playing the Switch 1 game on Switch 2 in handheld mode, the graphics looked blurry and jagged.
When enabled, Handheld Mode Boost makes the Switch 1 game play as if it were in docked mode, so it displays 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. This will give the visuals an instant upgrade.
Handheld Mode Boost must be turned on to see the effect, and it takes a few steps:
User on Reddit Test the mode to see how it affects Switch 2 battery life. Test used Doom Eternal for Switch 1 with or without Portable Mode Boost. Testing showed that battery life decreased from 5 hours and 5 minutes to 3 hours and 43 minutes. This represents a 27% reduction and should be taken into account when using Handheld Mode Boost.
If you’ve enabled automatic software updates on your Switch 2, a pop-up window should appear when you start the game. If not, head over to System settings Choose Update Console from the menu.
Handheld Mode Boost was the main star of the new firmware update, but there were a slew of other changes.
- Changed the text and animations that appear on the screen when loading a virtual game card into a file house 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 participate in. You may not be able to invite some friends, such as supervised accounts.
- Friends who haven’t finished the initial GameChat setup can now be invited to GameChat. You may not be able to invite some friends, such as supervised accounts or those who haven’t used Nintendo Switch 2.
- Added the ability to rewind 10 seconds/advance 10 seconds using 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.
- Text-to-speech, under Accessibility, can now read text in the album and during first-time setup.
- Added the ability to see storage capacity details by data type for system memory and microSD Express card.
- Added the ability to perform an audio test when “Linear PCM 5.1 Surround” is selected for TV audio in Audio.
- When you activate Airplane mode, preferences you previously set 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 Quick Settings.
- Added the ability to see a notification in the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app when the parental control PIN is successfully entered on the console. This can also be set up to act as a push notification to your smart device.
- General system stability improvements to enhance user experience.