Nintendo has released the next big update for the Switch, which applies to all models of the console (Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch – OLED Model).
Update Ver. 18.0.0 adds 15 minutes as an option for auto-sleep when playing on TV, adds Korean as a supported language for the parental controls introduction video, and that old chestnut: system stability improvements.
That’s all the update does according to Nintendo’s patch notes, although dataminers are already digging into the details to find out more. Dataminer OatmealDome has so far uncovered a handful of changes to the Switch’s bad word list.
“Nintendo constantly aims to improve the functionality of its systems and services in order to provide the easiest, most user-friendly experience possible,” Nintendo said. “As a part of these efforts, we are making Nintendo Switch system updates available for download via the internet.”
As is usually the case, your Switch will automatically download the system update while it’s connected online. You can manually start the update from the System Settings if necessary.
Nintendo Switch system update 18.0.0 patch notes:
- Added “15 Minutes” as an option for “Auto-sleep when playing on TV” in Sleep Mode Settings.
- Added Korean as a supported language for “Nintendo Switch Parental Controls” introductory video.
- When the console language is set to Korean, the video can be accessed from Settings > Parental Controls.
- General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience.
Nintendo continues to update the Switch even as it reportedly prepares its next-gen console for launch in March 2025. Nintendo’s next console is a Switch successor with similar hybrid functionality but a bigger screen, various publications have reported.
In February, Nintendo announced it had sold 13.74 million Switch units in the first nine months of the financial year, a 7.8% decline on the same period a year earlier. But it revised its forecast for the current financial year up, predicting Switch sales of 15.5 million, up from the 15 million previously predicted.
Nintendo said sales of the console “continued to be steady” in its seventh year since launch. The Switch is now up to 139.36 million units sold, lagging behind only the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2 in the best-selling consoles of all-time list. Indeed, the Switch has more annual playing users than ever before, with 122 million recorded during the 2023 calendar year.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.