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If you’ve been playing some of the latest Nintendo Switch 2 games, you might be disappointed when going back to some of the original Switch games that haven’t received a free Switch 2 upgrade. The original Nintendo Switch had less power to work with, and a lower resolution, leaving games looking less impressive when you go back to playing them after enjoying the boost from your Nintendo Switch 2.
Thankfully, Nintendo’s 22.0.0 update for the Switch 2 adds a new feature that will help bring original Switch titles closer to the visual fidelity you would expect to see on a Switch 2. The new update adds a brand new Handheld Mode Boost setting which unlocks performance you would usually only get from using the console when docked to your TV. Of course, with better performance and resolution, there’s a trade-off. This comes in the form of higher power consumption, with the new mode using more power to improve the quality of the image.
How Handheld Mode Boost improves performance
While the original Nintendo Switch had a 720p display in handheld mode, the Switch 2 upgraded the handheld resolution to 1080p, giving you a sharper picture. The new mode can give select original Switch titles a boost up to 1080p in handheld mode when activated. It also lets games take advantage of the console’s improved hardware, offering better all-around performance than you would get on the original Switch — and even the Switch 2, prior to the update.
The new mode isn’t enabled by default, so you will need to turn it on if you want to take advantage of the additional power. To do so, you need to head over to System Settings on your Switch 2, navigate to System, and then find Nintendo Switch Software Handling. You should see an option to turn Handheld Mode Boost on or off. As well as the new mode, the 22.0.0 update also included stability improvements, as well as new features, such as more detailed storage information and the ability to save notes about friends.
Downsides to Handheld Mode Boost
Nintendo
While Handheld Mode Boost might give you some performance improvements and a nice little bump in resolution, there are some downsides to using it. The first, as already mentioned, is the hit the Nintendo Switch 2’s battery life will take. Beyond that, because the new mode forces the console into TV mode, there are other issues to bear in mind, too. Firstly, you might find that games you play with Handheld Mode Boost enabled no longer support touchscreen input, as this wouldn’t usually be enabled in handheld mode.
You’ll also find that if you’re using Joy-Con 2 controllers, they will be treated as a single Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller, which can cause some issues if you’re trying to use in-game features that require Joy-Con 2 functionality. If you prefer, you can just use a third-party Switch 2 controller, or the official Switch 2 Pro controller; you don’t have to use Joy-Cons if you don’t want to.
