July 29, 2025 — Nintendo has begun rolling out a new system firmware update, version 20.3.0, for both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, marking the latest in a series of ongoing updates for the popular gaming consoles.
As per usual, the official patch notes are brief and focused primarily on improving system performance. According to Nintendo, version 20.3.0 includes:
General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience:
This mirrors the typical format of recent updates, where Nintendo maintains a focus on under-the-hood enhancements rather than adding new features or UI changes. Notably, version 20.2.0 was released just a few weeks ago and also centered on stability while including a few unspecified bug fixes.
While Nintendo has not provided further details, it’s worth noting that their patch notes often omit behind-the-scenes changes. For example, following the 20.2.0 update, over 20 Nintendo Switch 1 titles received enhanced compatibility fixes on the Switch 2. This was not publicly disclosed by Nintendo at the time but was later discovered by the community.
It remains to be seen whether today’s 20.3.0 firmware introduces similar improvements or hidden features. Dataminers and Switch enthusiasts are already diving into the update to uncover any unannounced additions, including potential backward compatibility fixes or performance optimizations.
Stay tuned for more details as they emerge. In the meantime, Switch owners can download the update via the system settings to ensure they’re running the latest firmware.