A newly added boost mode for the Switch 2 is going down well with fans, but not every game gets to reap the benefits.
While Sony has managed to please fans with its PSSR upscaling technology for the PS5 Pro, Nvidia has upset everyone with its new AI powered DLSS 5 upscaler. Why it’s all happening this week is a mystery but Nintendo has also quietly released its own software update for the Switch 2.
Nintendo dropped the download last night, with no fanfare, and a quick glance through the patch notes shows that it has introduced mostly minor adjustments, like an option to make notes in your friend list and the ability to invite friends to GameChat sessions even if they haven’t finished setting it up themselves.
One detail, though, has caught fans’ attention and it’s something Nintendo really could’ve made a bigger deal of: a boost mode that improves how Switch 1 games run while in handheld mode.
In Nintendo’s own words, if you turn this boost mode on, ‘Nintendo Switch software being played in handheld mode will run with similar performance to the same software being played in TV mode.’
There are some caveats. For starters, this may drain the Switch 2’s battery faster and it disables touchscreen functionality completely. Plus, Nintendo warns that this ‘may affect instructions and other functionality in some software.’
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If online reactions are anything to go by, this is a small price that people are happy to pay, with many enthusiastically showing off the improvements on social media.
This Xenoblade Chronicles 2 comparison on Reddit is a good example as the visuals look a lot sharper and less blurry than they did before. The same goes for Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity, though the boost mode doesn’t affect performance, so it’s not as if the games now run at a smoother frame rate.
It’s not just first party games that have benefited either. On Bluesky, players have posted comparison screenshots of games like Persona 5 Royal and Tokyo Xanadu, with Bowl of Lentils going so far as to call it a ‘game changer’.
Only a handful of Switch 1 games have received dedicated Switch 2 upgrades (both free and paid) and while some have seen natural improvements when running on the newer hardware, others run no better than they do on Switch 1.
So, this could be Nintendo offering a compromise, since it’s extremely unlikely every Switch 1 game will see a dedicated Switch 2 update in the future.
The fact that touchscreen functionality is automatically disabled, though, means any games that require it aren’t compatible with the boost mode, such as Super Mario Maker 2.
It’s also been reported that other games are blocked off from it too, possibly due to their unique control schemes. Annoyingly, Nintendo hasn’t provided its own list of exemptions, but fans on Reddit, through testing, have discovered that games like The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD and Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu & Eevee are amongst them.
How to activate Handheld Mode Boost on Switch 2
If youwant to use the Switch 2’s boost mode yourself, for playing Switch 1 games, enabling it is very simple. Just go to System Settings on the console’s menu (the gear icon at the bottom of the screen) and then go all the way down until you find the System menu.
Scroll down and you’ll see an option for Nintendo Switch Software Handling. Select that and you’ll be given the option to enable boost mode.
Obviously, this won’t be available unless you’ve updated the console. If you’ve yet to do that, you can find a System Update option at the top of the System menu.
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