Nintendo has announced a major new Switch 2 feature that improves the performance of most Switch 1 games when played in handheld mode.

A “Handheld Mode Boost” option has been added in today’s chunky Switch 2 firmware update, which brings the console up to version 22.0.0. The feature, which is buried at the bottom of Nintendo’s patch notes, allows for boosted Switch 1 games when playing in handheld, with performance akin to playing with the console docked.

A separate support page on Handheld Mode Boost suggests Nintendo has achieved this by simply having your Switch 2 act as if you were playing while docked, even if you’re not, which does add a few technical issues — detailed in full below.

“Because this option forces TV mode operation, some instructions may be incorrect or fail to operate correctly,” Nintendo notes. The option may also disable the touchscreen, and cause the Joy-Con 2 controllers to be treated as a Switch 2 Pro Controller.

Lastly, Nintendo notes that while this option can result in improved visuals, it will also increase the system’s power consumption. Fancy giving it a try? Just head to the console’s Settings menu, select “System”, then “Nintendo Switch Software Handling” to toggle it on.

The rest of today’s Switch 2 system software patch notes lie below, and include a few other nice additions. These include the ability to add notes about your online friends (which, don’t worry, they won’t see), and improvements to the quality of shared game screen footage on GameChat.

Switch 2 firmware version 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.
• 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.

Finally, the original Switch was also updated today, with a shorter list of additions:

Switch 1 firmware version 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.
• 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.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social