r/Games: Nintendo Switch 2 Ver. 22.0.0 Adds Friend Notes, Broader GameChat Tools, and Handheld Mode Boost

r/Games is highlighting an official platform update rather than another rumor cycle. Nintendo says Nintendo Switch 2 system version 22.0.0 was released on March 16, 2026, and the patch is much more substantial than a cosmetic tweak for the HOME Menu. The support page starts with small visible changes to how virtual game cards load, but the full changelog shows Nintendo touching social features, accessibility, media controls, storage management, wireless settings, and backward-compatible software behavior in one release.

One of the clearest additions is a new note system for the Friend List. Nintendo says players can now save notes about friends directly on the console, and those notes can also be viewed or edited from Nintendo Switch App version 3.3.0 or later. GameChat also gets a wider role: players can invite friends to rooms already in progress, invite friends who have not finished initial GameChat setup, and get improved quality when an expanded game screen is shared through GameChat.

The rest of the update is packed with practical system changes. Nintendo added 10-second rewind and advance controls with ZL and ZR for full-screen video in News or Nintendo eShop, storage breakdowns by data type for system memory and microSD Express, an audio test for Linear PCM 5.1 Surround, and smarter Airplane Mode behavior that remembers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC preferences. Parents also get a new notification option in the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app when the PIN is entered successfully on the console. One of the more interesting additions is Handheld Mode Boost, a Nintendo Switch Software Handling option that makes compatible Switch software run as if the system were in TV Mode, though Nintendo warns that some functionality may be affected.

Highlights from Nintendo Switch 2 Ver. 22.0.0

Friend List notes that stay private and can sync with Nintendo Switch App version 3.3.0 or later.

New GameChat invitations and improved expanded game-screen sharing quality.

Storage breakdowns for system memory and microSD Express data types.

Handheld Mode Boost for compatible Switch software.

Airplane Mode preference saving for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC, plus additional accessibility and media-control improvements.

The official notes do not promise universal performance gains, and Nintendo is careful to say that some features may behave differently under Handheld Mode Boost. Even so, version 22.0.0 clearly reads like a feature update, not just a routine stability pass. For early Nintendo Switch 2 owners, the March 16 release touches everyday use in several directions at once: social coordination, accessibility, parental oversight, connectivity, and how older Switch software behaves on new hardware.