Nintendo has released system update 23.0.0 for the Switch 2, and it carries two headline features: variable refresh rate output when docked and a full console-to-console data transfer tool. The update arrives on the heels of both the Zelda Direct and Standard Nintendo Direct shows held earlier this week, keeping Nintendo’s momentum going into the back half of the year.
VRR Finally Comes to Switch 2 in TV Mode
Variable refresh rate support was actually announced as part of the original Switch 2 feature set before launch, but Nintendo quietly pulled all mentions of it before the console shipped. Update 23.0.0 makes it official. When playing in TV mode, and when both the game and the connected TV support VRR, the console will now output video at a refresh rate that, according to Nintendo, ‘matches the game’s processing speed.’
There is one condition worth knowing before you get excited: this feature does not work out of the box on existing hardware alone. Nintendo has confirmed that an update to the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock itself is also required to enable VRR output. If your dock is not on the latest firmware, the feature will not activate regardless of your TV’s capabilities.
VRR has become a standard expectation on modern gaming hardware. Xbox Series X supports it broadly, and its inclusion on Switch 2 – even delayed as it was – brings Nintendo’s flagship console more in line with what players have come to expect from premium home gaming setups. The practical benefit depends heavily on the game and display combination, but for titles that run at variable or unlocked frame rates, smoother output should be a noticeable improvement.
A new ‘VRR Settings’ option has been added under the Display section in system settings, giving users control over the feature. Nintendo also renamed the ‘Dock Output Information’ option to ‘Video Output Information’ so players can check in detail the video signals their connected TV is capable of displaying – a small but useful quality-of-life change.
System Transfer Between Two Switch 2 Consoles
The second major addition in update 23.0.0 is a system transfer feature. Nintendo is calling it a ‘complete data transfer’
The timing lines up directly with this week’s announcement of the Legend of Zelda Limited Edition Nintendo Switch 2 console. Players who plan to pick up that anniversary hardware will now have a clean, supported path to move everything from their existing unit across without losing progress or media. Previously, Switch 2-to-Switch 2 transfers were not supported – only migrations from the original Switch family were available.
Full Patch Notes for Nintendo Switch 2 Update 23.0.0
Beyond VRR and system transfer, update 23.0.0 includes a range of smaller improvements. Here is the complete list of changes, via machine translation from Nintendo:
- Game chat now displays previously joined chats in the list of available chats to join.
- Players can now join a new chat without selecting any friends first.
- A button to change screen size has been added to the menu accessed by pressing the C button during a chat.
- A ‘Settings’ option has been added to the Virtual Game Card list screen, allowing users to check device registration status.
- VRR output is now supported in TV mode – requires a dock firmware update to activate.
- Complete data transfer between two Switch 2 consoles is now supported, including save data and screenshots.
- Portuguese (Brazil) has been added to the Text-to-Speech language list under Accessibility settings.
- Portuguese (Brazil) has also been added to Voice-to-Text Conversion for Game Chat.
- TV Sound settings under Audio are now saved individually for each connected TV.
- The ‘Dock Output Information’ display item has been renamed ‘Video Output Information.’
- A ‘VRR Settings’ option has been added to the Display section.
Update 23.0.0 is available now for all Nintendo Switch 2 owners. If you are planning to make use of VRR, make sure your dock also receives its required update, otherwise the setting will not function even if your TV supports variable refresh rate input.