One of the features of the Switch that has drawn a lot of positive reception (and perhaps a bit of negative, too) is the shiny, new OS that launched alongside it. Nintendo's track record in OS design has been… functional, to put it nicely. Though the software running platforms like the Wii U and 3DS was certainly capable, it tended to chug along at a rather slow pace. That's all gone with the Switch OS, which is smooth like butter, but some detractors have noted that the Switch OS is a bit anemic.
Well, now the first post-launch update has finally gone live and it brought with it the hottest new feature that the fans have been crying out for since launch: stability. By our reckoning, the Switch has still got quite a way to go until it can reach 3DS levels of unshakable stability, but hey, at least Nintendo is getting started early. Here are the full patch notes:
General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience
Those notes are a real doozy, so drop whatever you're doing and go ensure that your Switch is stable.
What do you think? Are you satisfied with the latest update? Drop us a comment in the section below.
[source en-americas-support.nintendo.com]
Comments 163
Gotta have that stability!
It begins...
Gotta love those stability updates!
Not this again...
Hope it solve the framerate wifi issue
Anyone asked CNET to test this stability update?
Thank goodness; maybe now I can finally remove that folded piece of cardboard under the front-right corner.
Thanks for the laugh! Heh!
The sarcasm is strong with this one
I was gonna wait until next year to buy one, but I need more stability in my life; time to go get me a Switch!
@TobieOBrown HAHAHA!!! I wonder how hard CNET has to shake it for the update to fall out.
I guess the whole "STABILITY" meme is going to continue on with the Switch, huh?
@OdnetninAges "Hello there, all you stable people!"
Does this mean that the kickstand will work better?
"Put a horse in me, I'm stable!" --my Switch
Whoa, that's actually really good, the only time I used the stand in back it kept falling over! I'll need to give it a try now!
Seems faster...(it's a Windows central comment section joke seems appropriate here.)
Aaaahhhh, i love the smell of stability in the morning.
@Nashew Probably! I'm pretty sure I just downloaded a new kickstand.
Why can't they just admit what the update really does?
After applying the update I used it with the kickstand and didn't notice much stability.
@SwitchVogel You tease.Had me thinking new themes were available.
Anyone hear about lego city for switch physical people need internet to download 13gb on the internal memory
Yes! Glorious, glorious stability! The meme will never die!
Finally, my switch was wobbling so much it was nearly unplayable. This is just what the doctor ordered.
Switch is already at its point in life where its only receiving stability updates... oh how we barely knew thee!
C'mon Nintendo! This is an insult to the luxurious stability updates of the past with the 3DS! Get a hold of yourself!
Ah, stability! It begins...
Yup, thats right, Switch has already been hacked less than a week after launch. Nintendo is playing cat and mouse game again.
@tonyp1987
Yes. I heard that this morning.
Gosh... 13 GB from download ?!
Hopefully after finished, we can play it freely and Offline.
I just want to know One thing about Lego City Undercover Switch.... Will the Custom Disguise upgraded, so I can use ALL Disguise body part ?
I remembered I couldn't put Boxing Gloves onto my custom disguise on Wii U version, that means not all disguise part can be used even I had unlocked the Disguise that has specific shape or color (Let's say Boxer. I can make Chase become a Boxer but I have to click Boxer disguise. I can't make custom disguise with Six Pack body + White Karate Trunks + Red Boxing gloves + any faces or hairstyle)
lol the infamous stability update. Every time I see an update for "stability" I roll my eyes and I haven't updated about 18 apps for that very reason. I'm sure I'll update my Switch, but how hard would it be to just say what an update does?
@Rumncoke25 I'll bet it blocks the web browser that hackers found.
From the subtitle I'm like,
"cool I'll see it for myself"
And then I update. 🙃
What does it even mean? Like now it's harder for hackers to mess with the Switch??
But Breath of the Wild has enough stables as it is...
Hahaha, guys, I actually thought this update would do SOMETHING.
Phwoar! Little bit clickbaity that headline, eh?
Lucky I finished early at all work today so I can get that stability update quick smart!
Woah, can't wait to try out that updated OS.
There goes access to the web browser hack.
For a moment there I thought something new was coming! 😂
It begins
Ah yes, the famous stability updates. Loved those on my 3DS, can't wait for them to add up on the Switch!
In other words " We're patching the browser exploit so you wont be able to jailbreak the system, We're looking into other issues but thats for later "
My switch crashed for the first time yesterday while trying to register a horse at a stable. Fortunately Zelda autosaved right before I reached the stable so no progress was lost. Pressing the power switch did nothing; I had to hold it down for several seconds before it turned off. Even with the CPU frozen, the switch switched from TV to portable seamlessly in hardware when I disconnected the dock.
I can't wait till the day I read a headline that says: "new nintendo OS update to bring online features"
The stability updates have always kept me coming back for more on the 3DS. Looking forward to years of stability updates on the Switch. 🎉
This is the one feature that defines Nintendo as a unique company. . It would be nice if they could provide a "Stability" icon on the home page. . . . .
Stability as in trying to make it harder to hack stability?
Emphasis on TRYING...
Just updated mine. I feel safer already!
Ugh! Typical Nintendo.
I am fine they don't disclose exploit and Security fixes, but at least they can disclose everything else, so People can at least get an idea if this patch is addressing some of the issues they like to see fixed.
/facepalm
Hope for a WiFi fix. I had already enought from manually connecting Switch to my network. (otherwise it does the lags in games).
@ThePoochyKid Isn't this one of the few memes whitout pictures?I mean,it's just made of the comments we type here.
The subheading of the article title genuinely made me excited... then it's just the stabilitiez. You're playing with my emotions, Vogel.
@Noonch
That's exactly what the update was about, the Switch will have more stability than actual games.
OMG! S T A B I L I T Y ! ! JUST WHAT WE NEEDED!! CAN'T WAIT TO COME HOME AND UPDATE MY SWITCH!
Now we don't need to worry about earthquakes. We have Nintendo Switch to plug the holes! 8D
@Koapa It's got to be a simple channel/interference thing right?? I have two Switch consoles and both are lag free on wireless.. Must just be a weak antenna that affect only some people or something.
Meanwhile... seriously Nintendo (and other brands for that matter)... enough with the stability BS!
This article oozes of sarcasm, I mean stability.
I'll hold off on updating until I absolutely have to this time round. I'll stick with the stock OS.
That's what I've been waiting for. Now it's stable I feel it's safe to buy one.
I really like the OS Hud and the clean Apple like eShop, and news apps.
I hope they don't start tinkering. Like they did with miiverse. As this went from awesome to apalling with all the 'improvements'?
Still no web browser, Netflix and crunchyroll
@FTL
I have tested, when the lags are occuring. If you have set your AP for Key rotation (defaultly set to 10 minutes), Switch lags every time where it needs to reconnect after rotation.
I will test it and hope for impovement.
The same is about WiFi signal, cause my TV can connect where Switch doesn't.
When did bomberman online stop lagging?
Thank Christ for this update. I was feeling a bit unstable today.
At least it's better than 'minor text fixes'.
I'm pretty sure there was more than just "stability" that could have been added/improved in this update, Nintendo.
@Captain_Gonru Zelda's crashed on me twice in a span of 100+ hrs and Blaster Master Zero has crashed on me once in just under 10 so yes I actually do hope for a little stability although most likely it'll be an update against the web applet vulnerability.
The other day I used table top mode on the commuter train. Switch almost tipped over (to the back, over the kick stand) when the train accelerated. I set up table top mode again now on my desk, and nudged the Switch slightly. It does indeed feel much more stable now... or am I imagining this??? On the other hand my desk at work does not have the habit of accelerating, so who knows...
Zelda still lag.
OH NO! I didn't download before I went away on my holiday this morning. I'm gonna be unstable for a week!
As long as we don't get any Niantic style "Minor Text Fixes"
Now give us a jingle ffs
@Zach HAHA! Funny as **** Dude..
aah so I guess a fix for the weird battery issue is not top of priorities £328 well spent then
I was just wondering why the Switch seemed a little off. Now it seems a little more perfect. Though it could possibly use some extra stability.
@Anti-Matter i dont know about lego city undercover never played it but want to play it now hopefully you can change clothes to your liking
Are you kidding me, Nintendo? You released this pile of poo barebones OS with less of everything than Wii U had on launch. Get your act together, amateurs!
The dream lives on!
Just give me bluetooth headphone support Nintendo..... PLEASE
Can we still access to various global eShops from the same Switch using different profiles?
Well, my Switch HAS frozen a couple times, so maybe this will help.
I'm not sure my nerves have the stability to cope with this update.
You know what could have been improved instead ?
The eSHop. We already have titles dropping off of the "new releases" List that cant be found unless you specifically search for them.
Yeah...thats ridiculous.
Oh well, stability it is....
You can't hardly do anything bar playing games and looking on facebook how does it need more stability?
Thank God. Was worried they wouldn't update for stability before CNET made a video about it.
Meh. For me the Switch is still far away from what it needs to be a worthy console for me. I wait until the Switch has:
The universe gravitates around the 3DS's stability at this point, so the Switch has a lot of catching up to do.
We need an NL poll: Will Switch ever be as stable as 3DS?
Seriously though hack fixes aside I've experienced 4 minor "stability/performance" issues at this point. Disconnect of the Joycon/Procon while sitting idle. This happened twice only. One time the game did lock on BotW, I hit sleep and it didn't go into sleep. Controls were unresponsive and the game was still running normally. I did have to press-and-hold power to restart. The third is a minor one, after using headphones then unplugging them the audio was still in "mute" until I pushed a volume button. And finally after first setting up the LAN adapter, it showed a connection but the game and the connection test showed the NAT type but failed trying upload/download as though the router had no connection. A Switch restart solved it.
I imagine some minor things like that along with Shin'en's mentioned issue with the dynamic resolution change are probably in here along with hack prevention.
So I am guessing this patches the "hax"?
Come to think of it, there are plenty of stables in Breath of the Wild..
Some people may say the PS4 and Xbone may be better than the switch, but lets just compare how stable each console is by the end of the year. The switch will plow them will all the Stability its gonna have.
I guess one thing this shows Nintendo: People want a browser. I'm going to guess by update 4.5, everything will be polished. Not, 'see-your-refelection'-polished, but at least, 'smudge-free'-polished.
Did they fix the wifi cpu studder issue
Oh joy. Epona's going to be happy with more stables
The way I see it, last night I had to run a repair on my PS3 for the 5th time in it's lifespan (it's a 2nd revision model, no PS2 playback). Never had to do that with the Wii, Wii U, and likely never with the Switch. Stability is good.
I happen to like the Wii U OS, the only reason why it's abit slower loading is due to it taking place in a fully rendered 3D virtual environment - look at the amount of GUI effects, lighting, polygonal Mii Characters, etc it's running at once - No other OS goes to that extreme - in my honest opinion the fact that it runs as fast, smooth and as well as it does is mighty impressive!!!
Stability is definitely needed. That kick Stand just wobbles and bends so much that I won't feel safe using it until I install the 2.1.0 update.
Lol, that was good for nice laugh.
@IceClimbers
As soon as I saw the freeze frame in your video, I knew exactly what the Barney quote was gonna be. Awesome.
LOL this joke again
from what I read, it seems to fix the flaw in the browser that allowed the exploit.
@tonyp1987 Yes, the publisher reported that was a mistake on the package.
@Einherjar it's possible that the eshop may not require an OS update to change that.
Though I did notice that for I Am Setsuna.
Tsk tsk. Not one Switch nay sayer mentioned it's instability at launch. NOT ONE! Unsubscribed to everyone. Bah.
@ballistic90 Yup, exactly. And its a rather "high profile" game as well.
Remember the kerfuffle surrounding the WiiU eShop and Nintendo refusing to rent out the top highlight spots ?
I wonder how devs will react to a shop that basically drops their software into oblivion, requiring the user to take an educated guess or an outside source to find them...
That's why i personally hate minimalistic designs.
They might look neat on the outside, but more often than not, they are missing more than one crucial feature.
I guess this can be changed without an OS update, sure.
Its basically just a web interface. But imo, this needs to be done rather sooner than later.
There is nothing wrong with having dedicated groups and tabs for specific software.
LOL!!
If anything there's too much stability.
I'm sensing a bit of sarcasm in this article.
When I read the headline I swear the update was bringing things like themes, virtual console, web browser and other stuff. I was so excited....
I'm hoping this update stops the Switch from sending signals to my TV when it's in sleep mode. This is really frustrating and I have to keep undocked if I'm watching TV or playing the PS4 due to the TV switching to a black screen.
I was hoping for an instability patch.
I was hoping there would be themes or folders, though most of us likely at this point don't have enough content to need folders quite yet. I wonder if this fixes the Breath of the Wild issue where the framerate would drop sporadically while connected to WiFi.
Still the HDMI output with using multiple devices is a pain with the Switch sending wake up signals every once in a while even switched off. FIX THIS NINTENDO
@MisterMan I had that problem too. I turned off "HDMI-CEC" on my TV settings and that solved the issue. That may not be a suitable option depending on your setup, though.
The joys of early adoption
It's so stable the Earth will stop rotating/spinning!
Wonder how long it'll take to get themes going? I'm guessing next yr after everything settles and the 2nd wave of gamers have their switch. Its VC and online by the fall if I remember correctly. Those are definitley the updates I'm waiting for. But stability is pretty cool too I guess.
@Joeynator3000
Welcome to the next generation of stability!
@aesc Yes the game really did lock up on me. The music continued to play but the controllers became unresponsive and the screen froze. I've been playing it solid since the game launched though, almost every day. Not really sure why it did though.
@Dakt If the console freezes, you can hold the power button for like ten seconds. It takes a while but it will shut it off cold.
I wasn't going to get a Switch, but this stability has pushed me over the edge.
My Switch is so stable that...oh, wait. I don't have one. ;(
Here we go... Once again!
@SMW @MisterMan I'm using an old 26" 2006 Sanyo HDTV. It is 720/1080i only and the Switch apparently only outputs 720p to such older sets. My TV don't support HDMI sleep/wake anyway so I turned this feature off in the Switch system menu. Other than the text in Zelda being a bit hard to read sitting ten feet away, it's a good TV. We may need to upgrade to a 40" display sometime...
The most simplest of things lol update the messaging system, miiverse already or Eshop music lol something !
Man, at least give me an option for ambient music! This OS hurts my soul.
XP How was I supposed to know the tagline was sarcastic before clicking? You got me, I lose.
@MisterMan You can turn that off in settings!
More stable makes it able!
I don't notice anything except for a 10 second download and restart. Would be nice to see the wifi frame rate issue get solved. I just turn it in airplane mode anyways. No need for it while playing Zelda. I play 99% in handheld btw...
The ONLY thing the Switch needs are more games, and it would have been nice if we could have brought over our already purchased (sometimes, more than once!) titles from the Wii U and 3DS eshops. How many times are we going to have to re-buy the same games, Nintendo? I'm surprised there isn't massive outrage. However, I still love my Switch, and the one fabulous Zelda game that plays great on it. Also: I had a WIFI issue for the past few days where my Switch wouldn't connect to my home wifi (as it had previously) and I scoured the internet and found that this can be fixed by fully powering off the Switch (holding in power button on top left until the system restarts.) This fixes the wifi problem. Seems like this issue would have been addressed in this system update since I see others have suffered from it, too.
I really like the switch os. It's super instant and fast.
I hope it addressed the HDMI issue where even when in sleep mode, it randomly changes my TV source from the one I'm on to the input Switch is on.
@TobieOBrown That is an incredible joke. Feel good about your work.
@ArmoredGoomba
Thanks for making me laugh.
Keep them updates coming Nintendo. Was really pleased the newer Switches have the Joy Con issues fixed.
Soon time to buy another Switch to replace the one that I sold.
Since they used some open source code, like WebKit that has a known security issue, at least now we can somewhat intelligently guess what they are doing. And yes, with OSS, they will indeed have to patch things, no more security through obscurity.
i just downloaded the update yesterday while playing the new legend of Zelda game. has anyone actually explored the OS to see if the update added any features to the system?
for all we know they added GameCube controller support.
@trakkerx I too want wireless headphone support more than almost anything else.
@pgerhard the HDMI switching issue is driving me nuts while trying to use other inputs on my TV. This, to me, is BY FAR the biggest Switch problem.
slow claps Yeah, great article....
@SwitchVogel It doesn't work to turn it off. I'm having the same issue. No matter what I do I can't use any other inputs on my tv because the Switch keeps pinging it and automatically flipping to the input its assigned to. Turning off the HDMICEC or whatever on my TV is a fix, but renders my entire entertainment system setup useless.
I think I read awhile back someone found a way to back door into the switch as a proof of concept but hadn't gone to where you could load other apps or worse, piracy. That's your stability update, shutting a door on shenanigans until the next is exposed. They should just be up front about it.
@stevenw45 Game Cube controllers? Where do i plug it in???
Unless you mean bring back the USB connector which officially was harder to find than an NES Mini (thanks Mayflash; you were a life saver) seriously, the PRo controller has more buttons that a Game Cube (No [-] or ZL) so adapting it to certain games (Ledgend of Zelda for instance assigns functions to EVERY SINGLE BUTTON) might be problematic.
As well adapting the analog triggers on the Game Cube controller could be problematic. A stop gap measure would be to map Z trigger to [-] and use possibly L/R for half mast, ZL/ZR for full insertion (that did not come our right). This would enable for example in Mario Sunshine VC to run around or stand still with the flood pack.
@Hordak My old TV don't even support HDMI power on/off. You can also disable HDMICIC from the system menu on the Switch. Why don't people take 10 minutes to explore the system menu? I disabled it since my old 2006 display doesn't support this mode anyhow. I imagine turning this mode off internally in the Switch menu will fix your TV problems. Besides that, there is a manual "INPUT" button on your TV remote. Learn how to use it.
@StarDust4Ever
yes i mean the Wii U controller adapter that was plugged into the Wii U through the USB ports on the system. i also said something about updating the game so that it can use the Pro controller. and besides not all games made use of the analog triggers on the GameCube.
and as it is many hard core Nintendo fans probably have the GameCube controller adapter for the Wii U.
unfortunately Nintendo did not make full use of the item. it was only usable in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and it makes it a lot easier to play with 8 people in the game.
i do not want to buy any additional controllers for the Wii U. i only got two Pro controllers for the Wii U since Walmart made a mistake with my pre-order of the Wii U when it was being shipped. i only planned on getting one.
unfortunately, i have a few Wii remotes because some of my friends prefer playing Mario Kart with the Wii Wheel instead of the Pro controller.
of course then i really would like Nintendo to make use of the GameCube controller adapter since i am only getting 1 pro controller for the Nintendo switch and no additional Joy-Cons for the system. besides, it would be nice to have use for the older controllers for some multiplayer games... besides the analog triggers may come useful in racing games....
@stevenw45 Yes the Game Cube Adapter was under utilized and under stocked. As for the Switch, I plan on getting a set of mini-wheels for Mario Kart. I only have one Pro controller in addition to the bundled Joycons, and the Pro is by far my favorite option.
As for two player options, Pro + Joycon = 2p dual stick gaming, then many games that use motion control allow for split Joycon. So when my friend comes over for Mario Kart, we can each use the mini wheels or Joycon pair vs Pro. His choice whether we use the wheels or not.
I think ARMS is the only game that explicitly requires two pairs of joycons for two player use, and they did write in traditional dual stick control options for people who dislike motion control, but I think the game really shines with the split motion controls. If my friend and I played ARMS, and one of us used the Pro controller in dual stick mode while the other used split Joycon, that would just feel awkward and imbalanced.
I downloaded World of Goo (I have nostalgia for this game dating back to the old Wiiware days) which uses touch for portable mode and Wiimote style single Joycon for docked mode, and the Gyros are so precise that the Joycons work pretty well despite not having a sensor bar to track. Overall the Joycon seem a good deal more sensitive than the original Wiimotes, though I occasionally have to recenter them, about every two minutes or so depending on usage.
Anyway I look forward to test-driving the mini-wheels in MK8 deluxe.
@StarDust4Ever
you can use the Pro controller in ARMS... no thanks. besides i am not planning on getting any multi-player games for the Nintendo switch at this point with the exception of Mario Kart and super smash bros. for when they are released.
however, i might get the Joy-Con wheel thing for the Nintendo switch to give that a try when playing Mario Kart. but for now i have no interest in using the Joy-Con controllers.
if i get ARMS, and i am considering it, i will be giving the Joy-Con controllers a try. however, i will only be purchasing a second pair of Joy-Con controllers if someone gets them for me as a gift.
for now i only have 1 game for the Nintendo switch and that game is the legend of Zelda. i can't wait until Mario Kart and the new super Mario game are released. i m also planning on giving splatoon 2 a try.
and hopefully the Nintendo online services will become available soon. some online multiplayer action is needed
@StarDust4Ever thank you for your condescending reply stating I didn't explore the menu for 10 minutes. I spent more time than 10 minutes on it. Disabling it in the Switch menu, in fact, DOES NOT WORK on my 2016 4K Samsung TV. It still pings the TV regardless and randomly pulls you off of the other input you happen to be on. It's exceptionally awful if gaming on another system or watching live television to have your TV input changed without your control and you miss information. I was literally watching a live broadcast of the news last night and missed the main point of their story because the Switch changed my input for no reason. Because of this I do have to use the manual input button when I shouldn't. I probably love Nintendo products as much or more than 90% of the people in these comments sections and I hate to say Nintendo got it wrong on this one aspect. When they fix it, I will stop complaining about it.
@Hordak I've always had to manually change the input on my 2006 Sanyo. You're making mountains out of molehills. I also have a Monoprice 4-port HDMI switch I use because I have more game systems than ports on my TV and it doesn't autoswitch either.
@StarDust4Ever You don't have to deal with the issue and your advice is to spend more money or handicap my entire entertainment system setup. My PS4, Blu-ray player, and Apple TV do not cause this issue. For that, Nintendo does not get a free pass. Let's agree to disagree.
@stardust4ever @hordak I think you are both on different wavelengths. I'm not sure stardust4ever is understanding what you are describing since their TV doesn't support the new feature. I will say that mine works fine and it had never happened to me where it turns on and switches my tv over. Any ideas why it triggers it? I regularly play my Wii U on that same TV without issue. I have a Sony TV with four HDMI inputs (and some other various inputs).
There are pages and pages of reddit posts of people claiming the exact same issue I have. My Wii U doesn't do it. It is something in the Switch, Nvidia Shield, and also the Amazon Fire Stick that many are talking about. There is some sort of an issue , many don't know if it is hardware or software, but it is odd that these are the only devices that do it, and only on newer TVs with HDMI+CEC. People who don't have those TVs don't understand. Yes, I could go back to the old way of having 5 remote controls and manually changing inputs every time I use my TV, but I feel like the issue that the Switch is causing is handicapping the entire reason I built my system the way I did.
I called around to some buddies who are in the tech industry. Seems like TVs that skimped some on the chipset that operates the HDMI are having issues detecting the Switch properly (also can happen to other devices) and will change over even when it is not a proper wake up signal. If you look online it seems like all the issues are with certain manufacturers (LG, Samsung, Vizio, etc...) due to the chipsets they use to keep costs down. Seems like Switch could patch the system not to send out those signals triggering those chipsets. I'm sure they are working on it. Unfortunately most of the sets in Japan won't have this issue so it will probably have to get pushed by NOA or NOE.
@JohnBlackstar That makes sense, yet I don't understand why Switch even needs to send out random pings when it is completely turned off or in sleep mode in the first place. My PS4 has the same feature but behaves properly.
@JohnBlackstar I hope you're right that someone is working on a fix.
@hordak I wonder if certain games cause the wake up. I have only left Zelda as my open game so far, but maybe other games keep doing things.
Maybe it is the Great Rebellion finally hacking your Horde systems, Hordak!
Hordak, you mention Nvidia Shield and Nintendo Switch both causing the issue you are reporting. These are both Tegra X1 (dunno what the Fire TV stick is but I imagine it's an underpowered or older Tegra like Ouya, and the rest of the "microconsoles" that soon came after.
Could it be a chipset issue with the Tegra line of CPUs? Maybe someone with the resources could probe the HDMI connection to see what signals are getting passed around between various TV models and the Switch, and see which device is causing the hiccups, the TV or the Switch.
I don't see why disabling the wake function over HDMI through the Switch menu would still cause problems. Maybe the TV in question could have the user disable smart functions on the specific HDMI port the switch is connected to.
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