Nintendo

The first Switch update that actually does something is here

That’s a harsh headline, but let’s be real. So far almost all of the Nintendo Switch OS updates have provided nothing more than “general system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience.” Update 3.0.0 adds several welcome features but still not as many as some were hoping.

Read on for what you can do with this update, as well as the full patch notes.

One of the major changes coming to the Switch is going to help you find your friends more easily. You can now add friends from your 3DS and Wii U friend lists under your user profile’s Friend Suggestions page. You’ll also receive notifications when friends come online, but you can turn this off in System Settings if you want.

A kind of funny — but potentially life-saving — addition is the Find Controllers feature, which will locate lost controllers for you. As long as you’ve paired the controller before, you can use this new feature to make any controller in range vibrate to help you find it.

Though this update hasn’t added cloud saving or video streaming apps, the improvements are still helpful. You can go to the News app on your Switch for a full run down of the new OS version, or you can read the list of patch notes below.

Nintendo Switch Version 3.0.0

Register a channel to receive News for specific games
Add friends from your Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Friend Lists
Receive notifications when your Friends go online
Find paired controllers within communication range by activating the vibration feature
Change the user icon order on the Home Menu
Select from 6 new Splatoon 2 characters for user icon
Change the system volume from the Quick Settings
Lower the maximum volume for headphone or speakers connected to the audio jack
Change display colors to Invert Colors or Grayscale
Use the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller via wired communication by connecting the USB charging cable (disables NFC touchpoint)
Update connected controllers
Added a feature that suggests deletion of software data if there is insufficient space when downloading other software
Resolved an issue that caused game software updates to fail and prevented the software from starting
Improvements to prevent unintended HDMI input change with certain TVs while the console is docked in Sleep Mode

okay

Mischa McGill

Mischa grew up with video games and still has a deep love for many - especially fun, colorful RPGs. Some of her favorites include Pokémon, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Fantasy Life, Kingdom Hearts, Skyrim, Civilization V, and Stardew Valley. She loves nights in with her boyfriend cooking Mexican food, watching Studio Ghibli movies, and going head-to-head in their favorite games. Mischa might not beat you in Super Smash Bros, but she owns a replica of Arwen’s sword and Hermione’s wand, so... don’t rub it in too much.