Nintendo Switch 3.0: System update lets you find lost Joy-Con and improves UI
Usually Nintendo Switch software updates are light on detailed information (annoyingly so). That's not the case for the Switch's 3.0.0 update, which is now available. The newest version of the Switch software brings the most user interface changes and functionality that we've seen in an update to date. Here's everything new you can expect in Switch version 3.0.0.
Nintendo Switch update: Software version 3.0.0 is the best yet
The new Switch firmware brings some useful changes to Nintendo's latest handheld. If you've ever lost a Joy-Con, you can now rest easy knowing that you'll be able to make it, or any controller connected to your Switch, vibrate. In the controller menu, you can force any gamepad to enact haptic feedback, which will help you hear or feel where your lost Joy-Con or Pro Controller may be.
The pro controller also sees an update for pro players. When connected to the dock via USB, the pro controller can now be used in wired mode. If you're playing in a tournament, this will help reduce any sort of button lag you may experience when playing wirelessly. Entering this mode, you should note, turns off NFC (the near-field communication that enables amiibo usage), so you can't use amiibo while you're playing in USB mode.
It wasn't just controllers that benefit from the update. Now you're able to see which of your 3DS and Wii U friends has a Switch, allowing you to fill out your buddy list that way. The news channel shown to you at startup can now be customized — very useful for those who put a Japanese profile on their Switch for early game demos but don't want Japanese news on their device.
Nintendo Switch update: It's the little things
Some of the changes in the Switch's software are big, others are small. New icons can be found on the lockscreen and dots next to news updates resemble blinking blue LEDs and, as seen above, the quick settings menu now contains a slider for volume in addition to brightness.
The charging icon when you put the Switch in the dock is even colored now. Here's what it looks like:
Nintendo Switch update: What's still missing from the Switch?
The 3.0.0 update is great, but not perfect. The Switch is still without a virtual console, without cloud backup for game saves and without support for legacy controllers — why must we pay $70 for a new Pro Controller when the Wii U Pro Controller has all the same buttons?
But the worst crime is no new themes: just the plain black and white options that came with the console. Classy, but not enough Pikachu.
Check out more Nintendo Switch games and coverage
Looking for more Nintendo Switch news? Check out how blind gamers are using the Nintendo Switch and why you can't get your Mii to look quite like you. Nintendo's left Joy-Con issue turns out to be a hardware problem — here's how to solve it. Find out how to buy a console amidst the recent restock. Learn why the Switch cartridges taste so bad. Check out our comparison photos sizing up the Switch to the Wii U GamePad (part one and part two), or find out how to make use of ethernet without the dock and the best way to get alerts when new stock arrives.
