Nintendo Switch & Switch 2 Get December 2025 System Updates: What’s New?

Nintendo dropped fresh system updates for both the Switch and Switch 2 on December 8, bringing both consoles to firmware version 21.1.0. If your console is online, the update should download automatically—but don’t get too excited about flashy new features just yet.

What’s Included in the Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch Updates?

Here’s the deal: Nintendo kept the patch notes pretty bare-bones this time around. According to the official release notes, version 21.1.0 focuses on “general system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience” for both the Switch and Switch 2.

Translation? Bug fixes and under-the-hood tweaks, but nothing you’ll immediately notice. Nintendo didn’t specify which issues were addressed, so we’re left guessing what got smoothed out behind the scenes.

Quick Comparison: What the Previous Update Fixed

The last update (version 21.0.1, released two weeks earlier) was more transparent about its fixes:

• System transfer issues: Resolved error codes 2011-0301 and 2168-0002 that kept popping up when transferring data from Switch to Switch 2
• Switch 2 Bluetooth bug: Fixed wireless controller and audio device connection problems after waking from Sleep Mode or disabling Airplane Mode
• Other unnamed stability improvements

So while this latest Nintendo Switch 2 system update doesn’t spell out specific fixes, it’s likely continuing that trend of ironing out performance wrinkles.

How to Update Your Switch or Switch 2 Manually

Your console should grab the update automatically when connected to Wi-Fi, but if you’re impatient (or want to double-check), here’s how to update manually:

1. From the Home Menu, select the gear icon in the bottom-right corner
2. Navigate to System Settings
3. Scroll down to System Update
4. Let it download and install

Easy peasy. The whole process takes just a few minutes.

Nintendo’s Busy 2025: Switch 2 Launch and Beyond

This system update caps off a massive year for Nintendo, headlined by the Switch 2 launch. The new console brought some serious upgrades to the table:

• Larger display and Joy-Con controllers
• Custom Nvidia Tegra T239 processor with DLSS upscaling support
• Backward compatibility with original Switch games
• Over 10 million units sold by late September

Popular exclusives like Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World helped drive those sales, while games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Super Mario Odyssey received free patches to leverage the Switch 2’s beefier hardware.

The year also saw the long-awaited release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which launched on both Switch and Switch 2 after an eight-year development saga. The Switch 2 version packed extra goodies like 120Hz support and mouse controls via the Joy-Con 2 controllers.

What’s Next for Nintendo in 2026?

With games like Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave already on the calendar for 2026, Nintendo shows no signs of slowing down support for either console. Whether more original Switch titles get Switch 2 enhancement patches remains to be seen—but given how 2025 played out, it wouldn’t be surprising.

For now, make sure your console is running version 21.1.0 to keep everything running smoothly. And if you’re diving into other gaming adventures, check out what’s happening with Capcom’s plans to revive classic franchises, the latest on Diablo 4 Season 11’s Pit changes, or solutions to World of Warcraft’s Decor Treasure Hunt riddles.

Official Patch Notes

Switch 2 Ver. 21.1.0 (Released December 8, 2025)

• General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience

Switch Ver. 21.1.0 (Released December 8, 2025)

• General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience