Nintendo has released a new firmware update for Switch and Switch 2 consoles today that adds a feature many users have been demanding for years. Generally speaking, most system software updates released by Nintendo for its Switch platforms don’t do a whole lot. Outside of improving the general performance and stability of each console, it’s rare for major new features to be added by Nintendo with its various patches. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for today’s new Switch and Switch 2 update, as Nintendo has now laid the groundwork for a new function that will go live next week.
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Downloadable now, update version 23.5.0 for Switch and Switch 2 most notably adds a new gifting option for games on the Nintendo eShop. This feature will now allow users to purchase games for friends and family members on the eShop rather than solely games for themselves. Gifting functions have been commonplace on Steam and Xbox marketplaces for quite some time, which has prompted Nintendo fans to demand the same for the eShop. Clearly, Nintendo has heard those requests, which has led to it now incorporating the feature on its Switch platforms.
Although this update adds gifting to the eShop on Switch and Switch 2, this feature won’t actually go live until next week on November 17th. Clearly, Nintendo has planned this rollout in tandem with the holiday season, which is when many of the biggest sales and discounts hit the eShop. As a result, the timing of this update could not be more perfect.
Outside of adding a gift option, Nintendo has made a handful of smaller tweaks to Switch platforms with this update. Accessibility options for first-time setup on Switch 2 has now been added, as have a handful of new language offerings. Other than this, Nintendo has done little else, but it’s still a pretty major update for the consoles all the same.
To get a look at everything that Nintendo has done to Switch and Switch 2 platforms today, you can find the full patch notes for this new firmware update down below.
Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 Update 23.5.0 Patch Notes
- Added the ability to configure accessibility settings during first-time setup.
- Information on these accessibility settings can be found in Nintendo Switch 2 first-time setup.
- Added support for an upcoming feature to allow gifting of Nintendo eShop products to a Nintendo Account family group member.
- This gifting feature will be available after a Nintendo eShop update, scheduled for November 17, 2026.
- The following updates have been made in Accessibility in System Settings:
- Added Portuguese (Portugal) to “Text to Speech” languages.
- Added Portuguese (Portugal) to the GameChat “Convert Text to Speech” languages.
- General adjustments and fixes were made to improve the user experience.
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