How to Update Nintendo Switch Games, Systems and Controllers

Here’s how to keep your Nintendo Switch up to date with the newest system upgrades, as well as update your games and controller firmware. Today in HiGift we tell you how to update Nintendo Switch games, systems and controllers.

Although the Nintendo Switch does not receive new updates as frequently as your phones, tablets or laptops, it is still critical to keep it up to date. Installing system upgrades provides access to new features as well as improved stability.

You don’t want to have to wait for a big download when it’s time to play, so updating your Switch games is vital for the same reason. To that end, here’s how to ensure your Switch’s software is up to date.

Update Nintendo Switch System Software

• Select “System Settings” icon on the home screen to check for the latest system updates on your Switch.
• On the left sidebar, scroll down to System.
• Select System Update from the resulting menu.

This will check for updates immediately. You’ll see “Your system is up to date” if you’re already on the most recent version. Otherwise, once the update is ready to install, you’ll see a progress bar and a prompt to restart your machine. It will just take a few minutes to do this task.

As long as your Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet, it will download system updates. You could get a prompt to restart your system when it wakes up so you can apply a pending update.

Update Nintendo Switch Games

Scroll down to the Auto-Update Software entry on the same System tab of the System Settings panel.

Make sure it is turned on, and your Switch will automatically download the most recent game versions, even when it is sleeping.

It won’t do this for every game in your collection; instead, it will just auto-update games you’ve recently played. It also does not check for changes on a regular basis. You can manually check for updates if you want to update a game you haven’t played in a while before going on a trip without Wi-Fi, or if you want to download a large patch for your favorite game so it’s ready to play tonight.

• To do so, select any game on your Nintendo Switch and press the Plus button on your controller.
• Choose Software Update from the left menu, then Via the Internet from the right menu.
• This will check for updates; if it’s up-to-date, you’ll notice “you’re running the most recent version of this software”.

A download will begin if this is not the case. As the game downloads and installs, a progress bar will display on the icon, and after the download is complete, a notification will appear. Keep in mind that starting a Switch game that requires network connectivity will cause the download to pause. Close all games on your Nintendo Switch before updating other titles for the best results.

Update Nintendo Switch Controllers

The controllers for the Nintendo Switch can also receive upgrades, though this isn’t frequent. You should check for them on a regular basis to ensure that your controllers are performing at their best.

To begin, physically or wirelessly connect all of the controllers you want to update to your system. Then select System Settings > Controllers and Sensors > Update Controllers from the menu. One by one, all controllers will be checked for and updated. While it’s going on, don’t press any buttons.

Update the Nintendo Switch Dock

Finally, the dock’s firmware can be updated via a Switch update released in September 2021. This may be found under System Settings > System > Update Dock.

This option, however, only applies to the dock on the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model). This has no effect if you have the normal Switch or Switch Lite.

You now know how to update your Nintendo Switch’s firmware, games, and controllers. While it may not be the most exciting aspect of owning a console, having the most up-to-date features and improvements is always advantageous.

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