Nintendo has pushed out a new firmware update for both the Switch and Switch 2, and while it won't blow anyone away, you'll want to grab it before jumping online.
Version 22.1.0 dropped on April 6, 2026, and covers both hybrid platforms simultaneously. The full patch notes via Nintendo Everything are short and to the point: "General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience." That's it. Classic Nintendo.
What last month's 22.0.0 set up
To understand why this follow-up matters, you need to look at what 22.0.0 brought in March. That was a substantial update, and the one that quietly introduced Handheld Mode Boost for Switch 2, a feature that lets the hybrid run Switch software in handheld mode as if it were docked in TV Mode. Dataminer OatmealDome also flagged that several Mario Switch icons were refreshed in that build.
Big updates like that tend to introduce small bugs and rough edges. Version 22.1.0 is the cleanup crew, patching whatever 22.0.0 left behind. Nintendo hasn't specified what exactly got smoothed out, and a datamine may surface more details later.
danger
You need the latest firmware installed to access new content and play games online. If your console hasn't auto-updated, head to System Settings and trigger it manually.
Why the timing is no accident
This update landing on April 6 is not random. Pokémon Champions, Nintendo's free-to-start competitive title, is releasing this week. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream follows next week. Getting a stability patch out before two high-traffic launches is standard Nintendo housekeeping, making sure the infrastructure holds up when player numbers spike.
The Nintendo Music app also received a content update today, adding more Splatoon 3 tracks to the library.
What the patch notes actually say
Here's the full official text for both platforms, straight from Nintendo's support pages:
Nintendo Switch 2 - Ver. 22.1.0 (April 6, 2026)
- General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.
Nintendo Switch - Ver. 22.1.0 (April 6, 2026)
- General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.
Identical notes across both systems. The key here is that Nintendo treating both platforms with the same update version keeps things tidy for players who own both consoles.
For the full breakdown of what changed in the bigger March update that preceded this one, the Nintendo Life patch notes coverage has the complete picture. With Pokémon Champions arriving this week, getting your system current before launch day is the move. Make sure to check out more:
