Earlier today, a new update was released for the Switch 2. This one bumps up the version to 22.0.0, and adds a bunch of new features regarding things like the friend list, GameChat and airplane mode to say just a few.

But the most interesting addition isn’t any of those. No, it’s the new ‘Handheld Boost Mode’ available for Switch 1 games.

What does that mean?

Well, when enabled, it’s an option that lets you play Switch 1 games on the Switch 2 in handheld mode, while treating them as if they’re running on the TV on the former. In other words, you get to play Switch 1 games with TV mode level resolution and framerates in portable mode now.

That’s quite the boost if we say so ourselves, and changes a fair few games in all manner of notable ways.

Here’s how to enable it in the settings:

How to Enable Handheld Mode Boost

1. First, go to System Settings
2. Then, scroll down to System at the bottom
3. Next, keep going down that page until you see a button labelled Nintendo Switch Software Handling. Click it.
4. Finally, activate Handheld Mode Boost via the button that appears

Of course, it does have a few things to note here. Firstly, touch screen functionality is usually disabled with this active, since the game thinks it’s running on a TV screen. So, if you’re using touch screen heavy games (like uh, Super Mario Maker 2), this may not be the best option.

It can also increase the system’s power consumption when playing these games too. Again, probably not a huge deal all things considered, but worth noting nonetheless.

Finally, it doesn’t do much for some games. Skyward Sword HD is virtually unaffected from what we’ve been told, and obviously Switch 2 games are completely exempt from this feature.

But yeah, that’s the biggest addition here, and one we’d suggest you activate as soon as possible.

As for the others?

Well, here’s a quick summary…

Other Updated Features

• You can now add Notes to Friends on your Friend List. So, if you want to label friends by where you added them, or give them amusing nicknames, that’s now possible.
• You can now invite friends to GameChat rooms you’re in. Kinda like on Discord.
• Those who haven’t set up GameChat yet can now be invited to join a room.
• It’s now possible to rewind or fast forward News and eShop videos via the ZL and ZR buttons
• Portuguese and Russian are now supported in GameChat’s speech to text feature
• Text to speech mode can read album text, as well as the text present on console setup
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC features can be set as active in Airplane Mode, and the console will remember this when the feature is enabled/disabled.
• You can enable/disable those features in Airplane Mode from the Quick Settings menu.
• The Switch Parental Controls app can now display a notification when the Parental Controls PIN is inputted successfully

So, while Handheld Mode Boost is definitely the big addition here, it’s certainly not the only one. There are a whole bunch of useful tweaks and extra features for those wanting more control over their Switch 2, and the system is a lot more usable because of that.

Either way, what do you think? Are you impressed by this new Switch 2 feature, or the recent update as a whole? How does Handheld Mode Boost affect the games you’ve tried it on?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or on our Discord server today!

Source:

Nintendo Switch 2 Update History (Official Site)