New Nintendo Switch Hardware Update Live, Patch Notes Released

A new update is now live on Nintendo Switch, bringing the system up to version 16.0.2. Unfortunately, fans hoping to see some significant improvements won't find them with this new version. Instead, it appears this one is centered on improvements to the console's overall stability. It's not the most exciting thing in the world, but clearly Nintendo continues to find new ways to improve the platform's performance! Full patch notes from Nintendo's official website can be found below:

Ver. 16.0.2 (Released April 17, 2023)

• General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.

At this point, Nintendo Switch has been on the market for more than six years. That's an impressive shelf life for a video game console, and Nintendo has made no indication that we might see a new system released in the near future. That said, there are some indications that Nintendo's support for Switch might be winding down. Next month will see the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which many see as a possible swan song for the hardware. Pikmin 4 is also set to release in July, but Nintendo's plans outside of the summer have not been revealed just yet. That's not too unusual for the company, but there have been rumors for years about a Switch successor; it's possible we could finally see some kind of announcement over the next few months!

Switch has been a massive success story for Nintendo, turning around the company's fortunes after the failure of the Wii U platform. Things have never looked better for the company, especially when considering the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It remains to be seen whether the company's good fortunes will continue on to the Switch's successor, whenever that might happen, but the increasing popularity of franchises like Mario, Splatoon, and Animal Crossing makes it a distinct possibility. For now, we'll just have to wait and see what gets revealed next!

Are you still enjoying your Nintendo Switch? Do you think the company will release a new system soon? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!