Switch 2 update 23.0.0 adds docked VRR and Switch 2-to-Switch 2 data transfer

Nintendo released Switch 2 system update version 23.0.0 on September 10, adding variable refresh rate output in TV mode and full data transfer between two Switch 2 consoles, according to the patch notes published by VGC.

VRR lets a supported TV match its refresh rate to the game's processing speed, smoothing out frame pacing in titles that run at unconventional or uncapped frame rates. Nintendo's patch notes state that VRR output now works in TV mode when both the software and the TV support it, and that an update to the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock is required to enable the feature. That dock requirement is the detail that explains why the capability was missing at launch: the console's hardware could handle it, but the dock firmware could not.

The feature arrives after a public reversal. When Nintendo first revealed the Switch 2, it said the console would support 4K, 120fps and VRR when docked. The company later removed mentions of VRR from its official websites, and when the console shipped, docked VRR was not supported. Version 23.0.0 closes that gap roughly a year and a half after the console's launch.

The second headline feature is "complete data transfer" between two Switch 2 consoles. Owners can move all their data, including save data and screenshots, from one Switch 2 to another. This capability did not exist before, and its timing lines up with Nintendo's announcement this week that a Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 console is coming in October. Existing owners buying the Zelda-themed system now have an official path to carry their library and saves across rather than relying on cloud saves or manual workarounds.

Nintendo also reworked parts of Game Chat. The update adds a list of chats you have previously participated in, allows joining a new chat without selecting any friends first, adds a button to change screen size in the menu that appears when you press the C button during a chat, and adds a Settings option to the Virtual Game Card list screen so you can check a device's registration status. Under Accessibility, text-to-speech now supports Portuguese (Brazil), and Portuguese (Brazil) was added to the language list for voice-to-text conversion in Game Chat. TV Sound settings under Audio are now saved.

The update includes a smaller, nostalgic addition: the Mii creation screen now offers optional background music, with the Wii, 3DS and Wii U Mii Maker themes available while players build their characters. Reaction to that feature was immediate and largely amused, with one user on Bluesky, Felix Sanchez, posting "mu....music in the mii maker? IN THIS ECONOMY!?!???"

What remains unclear is the scope of VRR support in practice. Nintendo's notes condition the feature on both the software and the TV supporting it, and the company has not published a list of compatible titles or displays. The dock update requirement also means owners must apply firmware to the dock itself before the feature will engage, a step separate from the console update. VGC's report does not state whether the dock update ships automatically with 23.0.0 or must be triggered manually.