Nintendo Switch 2 system update 23.0.0, distributed on September 10, 2026, adds variable refresh rate (VRR) output when the console is used in TV mode. Nintendo says the feature works only when both the game software and television support VRR, and that the Switch 2 dock must also be updated.
The update also adds a dedicated VRR setting and more detailed information about the video signals supported by the connected television. Nintendo’s official notes do not specify the supported VRR range, resolutions, maximum refresh rates, cable requirements or compatible television and game models.
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What changed in version 23.0.0
Nintendo’s Switch 2 support documentation lists version 23.0.0 as released on September 10, 2026. Its principal display-related change is support for VRR output in TV mode.
The update adds a VRR settings item under the console’s Display settings. Nintendo has also renamed or expanded the video-output information area so users can check in greater detail which video signals the connected television can display.
VRR support is conditional rather than universal. Nintendo’s notes say that the game software and television must both support the feature. The notes also require an update to the Nintendo Switch 2 dock before VRR can be enabled.
Version 23.0.0 includes other changes unrelated to display output, including GameChat changes, virtual game-card settings, full data transfer from one Switch 2 system to another Switch 2 system, additional accessibility languages, Mii QR-code sharing and various settings changes and stability fixes.
What VRR changes for TV-mode play
A conventional display refreshes at a fixed timing, such as a fixed number of refreshes per second. A variable-refresh-rate display can instead vary the timing of its refreshes within a supported operating range.
That allows the display’s refresh timing to follow the timing at which the console and game produce frames. When the two are better matched, VRR can reduce visible screen tearing and may reduce uneven frame-pacing artefacts. Screen tearing occurs when portions of more than one frame appear together because the display refreshes while a new frame is being prepared.
The update does not itself increase a game’s frame rate. The practical effect depends on how consistently a game produces frames, what the Switch 2 and dock output, and the television’s VRR capabilities and operating range.
Nintendo says the video output is matched to the game’s processing when the software and television both support VRR. That establishes the new console capability, but Nintendo’s update notes do not provide image-quality, frame-pacing or latency measurements. Independent testing would be needed to determine how much difference the feature makes across particular games and displays.
What Switch 2 owners need
Owners who want to use the feature will need to:
- Install Switch 2 system version 23.0.0.
- Update the Nintendo Switch 2 dock.
- Use a television that supports VRR.
- Run game software that supports VRR.
The new Display settings and expanded video-output information should make it easier to inspect whether a connected television accepts particular video signals. However, Nintendo’s supplied documentation does not identify specific compatible televisions or games.
The source also does not establish whether every existing Switch 2 dock will support VRR after updating, or whether every Switch 2 game capable of TV-mode output will be able to use the feature.