The latest Nintendo Switch 2 system update is version 23.5.0, released by Nintendo on 9 November 2026. Nintendo describes what each version changes in its official release notes, and you’ll find a summary below.
Current version: 23.5.0
Released: 9 November 2026
Release notes: Nintendo’s official pageWe update this page with every new version.
What version 23.5.0 added
The November update, 23.5.0 from 9 November 2026, brings these changes according to Nintendo’s release notes:
- You can now adjust accessibility settings during first-time setup.
- The system adds support for an upcoming feature that lets you gift Nintendo eShop products to a member of your Nintendo Account family group. Gifting itself will be available after a Nintendo eShop update, which Nintendo has scheduled for 17 November 2026.
- Under System Settings > Accessibility, Portuguese (Portugal) has been added to Text to Speech and to GameChat’s Convert Text to Speech.
- General adjustments and fixes to improve the user experience.
What version 23.0.1 changed
Nintendo lists a single change: it fixes an issue from version 23.0.0 where software occasionally took a long time to start, pause or close. If games or apps took a long time to start, pause or close after the September update, this is the fix for exactly that.
The official note is in Nintendo’s update history.
What version 23.0.0 added
The more interesting update is the big one from 9 September 2026. Its headline feature is VRR (variable refresh rate) support in TV mode. To use it, you need an updated dock firmware on top of the new system version, more on that below. Other changes include:
- GameChat now keeps a list of chats you’ve joined before, lets you chat without inviting friends, and the C Button changes the screen size during a chat.
- Virtual Game Cards get a new “Settings” option.
- System transfer now works from one Switch 2 to another Switch 2.
- “Dock Output Information” has been renamed to “Video Output Information”, and there are new VRR settings.
- The console remembers audio settings for up to 8 TVs.
- Mii characters can be shared with a QR code.
- Handheld Mode Boost is now available in Quick Settings.
- Play time is combined across consoles.
Nintendo keeps the full change list for every version on its update history page.
How to check which version you have
On the HOME Menu, open System Settings and scroll down to System. Your current system version is shown right under System Update. If it says 23.5.0, you’re up to date.
How to update your Switch 2
Most of the time you don’t need to do anything. When the console is online, it usually downloads the update on its own. To start it manually:
- Open System Settings on the HOME Menu.
- Scroll down and select System.
- Select System Update. The console first checks whether a new version is available, and if there is one, the download starts automatically.
Updating the dock for VRR
The Switch 2 dock firmware updates separately. The console has to sit in the dock and run the latest system version. Then go to System Settings > System and select Dock Update. Without it, VRR in TV mode won’t switch on. Nintendo describes the process on its dock update page, and our Switch 2 specs article covers the console and dock hardware.
Switch 2 system version history
Nintendo publishes a release date for every version, so we list them all. For what each update changed, see Nintendo’s update history linked above. Newest first.
| Version | Released |
|---|---|
| 23.5.0 | 9 November 2026 |
| 23.0.1 | 30 September 2026 |
| 23.0.0 | 9 September 2026 |
| 22.5.0 | 15 June 2026 |
| 22.1.0 | 6 April 2026 |
| 22.0.0 | 16 March 2026 |
| 21.2.0 | 12 January 2026 |
| 21.1.0 | 8 December 2025 |
| 21.0.1 | 24 November 2025 |
| 21.0.0 | 10 November 2025 |
| 20.5.0 | 29 September 2025 |
| 20.4.0 | 1 September 2025 |
| 20.3.0 | 28 July 2025 |
Version 23.5.0 came out for both Switch 2 and the original Switch on the same day, 9 November 2026. The contents of the updates differ, though. For what the original Switch, Lite and OLED got, see our page on the Switch system update. Still moving over from an older Switch? Our system transfer guide walks you through it.
What to do if the update won’t install
Nintendo’s own first step: restart the console and try again. Hold the POWER Button for at least three seconds, select Power Options, then Restart.
If the update still fails from System Settings, there’s Recovery Mode. You start it from a powered-off console with the volume buttons and the POWER Button, then pick Update System from its menu. The full step-by-step process and fixes for other problems are in our guide to Switch 2 errors.
Join our Discord and ask other players whether the update went smoothly for them or how VRR is working on their TV: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
The latest is 23.5.0, which Nintendo released on 9 November 2026. The official release notes are on Nintendo’s support page, and you can find every version in the history table above.
We’d recommend it. A console connected to the internet usually downloads new versions on its own, and you can start the update manually under System Settings > System > System Update.
VRR in TV mode needs an updated dock as well as the current system. Put the console in the dock and select Dock Update under System Settings > System.
Nintendo doesn’t announce system update dates in advance. We’ll add the new version here as soon as Nintendo releases it.
Go to System Settings > System. The version number is shown under System Update.
Information verified on 10 November 2026. More guides for the new console are in our Nintendo Switch 2 section, and every platform is covered on our console system updates overview.