As You Update Your Nintendo Switch, Update Your Joys As Well.
Nintendo, I love you, but you are the worst company in the world when it comes to product updates. Take the Nintendo Switch for example: it gets updates pretty regularly; It’s not a problem. But Nintendo doesn’t always explain what it updates when it needs to download a new version of your Switch’s operating system, and the general prose they offer is annoying:
In that case, the latest Nintendo Switch update also allegedly comes with an update for your Joy-Con controllers, which some believe is intended to address the ever-maddening ” Joy-Con drift ” issue that a number of Switch owners are facing. Although, to be honest, who knows; Nintendo hasn’t released details of the update, or even indicated that there is an update for your Joy-Con controllers that you want to install. I hate it when companies do this, but I still find it important to install updates, so here’s my advice in these situations.
Every time you get a new update for Nintendo Switch …
First, and most importantly, save and close the game. This almost goes without saying, but you will need to shut down whatever you were playing to install the Switch operating system update. This shouldn’t be a problem for most people, especially if you’ve recently saved your progress. However, if you absentmindedly press the “A” button to go through your switch update requests, as in a typical conversation with Animal Crossing , you risk losing progress made in any game you played because you weren’t paying attention.
If not, checking out (and installing) the Nintendo Switch update is easy. Go to the Nintendo Switch System Preferences , scroll down to System , navigate to System Update and press the A button on the Switch. If an update is available, you will be prompted to download and install it. Otherwise, you will see a screen that looks like this:
Is that all right? Not really.
Did you forget to update your Joy-Cons too?
While updating your console is easy, you might not be aware that you have to go through a separate process to update your Joy-Con controllers if (or when) Nintendo releases an update for them as well. I don’t remember ever getting notified of these updates, so I recommend going through the steps to check for Joy-Con updates whenever you have a regular Switch update.
Navigate to the Controllers and Sensors section of System Preferences and scroll down until you find the Update Controllers option. Make sure the Joy-Cons are physically connected to the switch, then highlight it and press “A”. You will follow a super-fast update process for the left and right Joy-Cons. If there are no updates to install, your switch will notify you.
Since you are already updating your switch …
Your Nintendo Switch is now fully updated and you’re done. But I haven’t finished yet. I like to use these moments – day update Nintendo Switch – to also view the game that I installed on your device, and check whether they have any obsolete update. That way, the next time I go to play them (if or when I can ever escape Animal Crossing Island), I don’t have to wait for the update to download and install.
You should know how to force-update games, but if not, let’s update. Highlight any game on the Switch Main Menu, click the Plus button in the upper left corner of the right Joy-Con, and scroll down to Software Update . Most people will do this with the Online command, so highlight that, hit A and see if a new version of your game comes up.