Another Nintendo Switch update, another series of minor additions. Coming out of a big Nintendo Direct that added SNES games to the Nintendo Switch Online service, nothing from this update is as monumental. That isn’t to say that the update is a total bore, with a few key additions worth mentioning. For one, the update fixes a bug that prevented purchasers of theFire Emblem: Three Housesexpansion pass from starting the game.
First things first, the underutilized News Channel now has a search function, and your Switch can also produce a QR code that logs you into your Nintendo Account at special events and locations. A curious addition for “Alarm Notifications” is also now present, with the update notes saying that “Alarms can be set up only within supported software (to be added at a later time).” What sort of functionality this entails is beyond me, but regardless, this looks like this will finally make use of the LED light ring on right Joy-Con and Pro Controllers.
There’s also a new option to adjust touch sensitivity in Settings, with support for both standard touch and stylus touch. Players ofSuper Mario Maker 2have been investing in capacitive styluses in building their crazy courses. Settings also have a section for “Online Play Invites,” though I assume invites can still only be sent from the Nintendo Switch Online mobile application. You know, that one that you use all the time to talk to your friends.
This firmware update is also preparing for theNintendo Switch Litelaunch, with one new feature being to turn off system button inputs, for cases where you’d only want to control the Lite from a separate wireless controller. Previously,the 7.0.0 updateadded icons and language support, while8.0.0 addedsorting options, a zoom functionality, the ability to transfer save data, andreportedly some hidden performance boosts.
