Nintendo has just released a new system update – version 2.0.0 – for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it brings with it a huge new feature for playing original Switch games: Handheld Mode Boost.

Handheld Mode Boost is a new feature that essentially lets you run Switch games in their docked profiles while playing those games handheld on Switch 2. This will mean most games will run at a higher resolution, and many games will have increased features, better performance, and greater fidelity in general, as they’ll be running at the higher settings that would previously have been exclusive to docked mode.

Nintendo says that some features may not work while this feature is enabled. Games that support touch controls, for example, likely won’t support touch input anymore, since docked mode naturally doesn’t support touch. Joy-Con 2 controllers attached to the console will also be treated as a Switch 2 Pro Controller, so there might be a few edge cases where certain features don’t work exactly as intended. Power draw may also be increased, as you’d expect running higher settings than previously. Thankfully, it’s something you can turn on or off at will in the settings, so if something isn’t working the way it should you can easily switch it off.

This is a huge boon to a large number of games, especially some of Nintendo’s own. All of the Xenoblade Chronicles games, for example, run at a much lower resolution in handheld mode than their docked profiles, so those will see a pretty substantial upgrade with Handheld Mode Boost turned on. Other games that ran at native resolution in both modes – and especially pixel-based games – will also see a clarity upgrade, since 720p doesn’t scale cleanly into the 1080p native screen featured on the Switch 2.

We’re still testing things out to see the limitations and improvements possible, but in the meantime you can read the full 22.0.0 system update patch notes below, courtesy of Nintendo:

Ver. 22.0.0 (Released March 16, 2026)

• Changed the on-screen text and animations when you load a virtual game card in the HOME Menu.
• Added the ability to save notes about friends on your Friend List. The note content is not displayed to friends.
  • Added the ability to see and edit these notes from the Nintendo Switch App. The app must be on version 3.3.0 or higher to use this feature.
• The following features were added to support GameChat:
  • Added the ability to invite friends to GameChat rooms you’re participating in. Some friends may not be able to be invited, such as supervised accounts.
  • Friends that haven’t finished GameChat initial setup can now be invited to GameChat. Some friends may not be able to be invited, such as supervised accounts or those who haven’t used a Nintendo Switch 2.
    • It may take a while for this change to be reflected after updating your console to system version 22.0.0.
  • Improvements were made to the quality of the game screen shared in a GameChat when expanded.
• Added the ability to rewind 10 seconds/advance 10 seconds with 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.
  • Clip Video, Video saved as a screenshot, and screenshot with added text.
• Added Portuguese (Portugal) and Russian to “GameChat Voice ⇔ Speech to Text” languages in Accessibility.
• Text-to-Speech, under Accessibility, can now read the text in Album and during first-time setup.
  • Please see Nintendo Switch 2 First-Time Setup and Connection for instructions on how to turn text-to-speech on in the first-time setup.
• Added the ability to see the breakdown of storage capacity by data type for the system memory and microSD Express card.
• Added the ability to perform an audio test when “Linear PCM 5.1 Surround” is selected for TV Sound in Audio.
• Changed the “Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea” region to “Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea/South East Asia” in Device.
• Added “Handheld Mode Boost” to Nintendo Switch Software Handling in System.
  • Handheld Mode Boost will cause compatible Switch software to run as if in TV Mode, so certain functionality may be affected. Please see the on-device description for more details.
• The following features were added to Airplane Mode:
  • When Airplane Mode is activated, the previously set preferences 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 the Quick Settings.
• Added the ability to see a notification in the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls smart device application when the Parental Controls PIN is input successfully on the console. This can also be set up to be a push notification to your smart device.
  • The app must be on version 2.4.0 or higher to use this functionality.
• General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience.