It’s never too late for an upgrade. Nine years after its release, the original Nintendo Switch has finally gotten a much-welcome update for its eShop, notoriously known for its glitchy, sluggish performance, especially as its list of games grew over time. With the rollout of firmware version 22.5.0, that will be a thing of the past.
As detailed in the latest patch notes, the entire console lineup now features a redesigned layout, improved colour coordination, support for Dark Mode, and “general system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience”. What this means is a local eShop app, similar to the one on the Switch 2, so that it no longer runs on a self-contained web browser, which would load extremely slowly and make scrolling an utter chore.
The difference is as stark, per a clip recording posted by Daniel Vuckovic on Bluesky:
The switch (hah) to native software also introduces the ability to set up PIN codes to access the digital store and use saved payment methods, adding another layer of security against unauthorised purchases by other users and removing the need to key in the password manually with each visit.
On Switch 2, the 22.5.0 system update expands its Text to Speech and Speech to Text During GameChat accessibility setting to Dutch and Russian.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
