Nintendo Switch 2 docked VRR is now live. System update 23.0.0, released on 10 September 2026, enables variable refresh rate output over the dock, but it also needs a separate dock firmware update and a game patched to use it. Only one title qualifies today.
What System Update 23.0.0 Adds
Version 23.0.0 is a system update for both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch, and the VRR change applies only to the newer console. Nintendo, the Kyoto games company behind both consoles, lists the following additions for the Switch 2:
- VRR in TV mode: refresh rate output now tracks the software’s performance when the game and the display both support it.
- Complete system transfer: all data, including save data and screenshots, can be moved from one Switch 2 to another Switch 2.
- GameChat changes: the joinable chat list now shows chats you have previously been in, you can start a chat without inviting friends first, and screen size can be adjusted from the C button menu.
- Handheld Mode Boost: the toggle moves into Quick Settings, and other controllers can be used while Joy-Con 2 units are attached.
- Mii editor: background music plays while creating or editing a Mii, and Mii QR codes can be created and shared.
- Smaller changes: TV sound settings are now stored per connected display, play time for the same software is combined across consoles, a Settings option appears on the Virtual Game Card list screen, and Brazilian Portuguese joins the text-to-speech languages.
Nintendo’s own system update page describes the headline feature in one line: “Added support for VRR (variable refresh rate) in TV mode. If supported by both the software and your TV, the refresh rate output will be adjusted based on the software’s performance.” The same entry carries the condition most coverage skipped: “A Nintendo Switch 2 dock update is required to enable this feature.”
Four Conditions Must All Be Met Before Docked VRR Does Anything
Installing 23.0.0 is not enough on its own. Variable refresh rate, which lets a display change its refresh rate on the fly to match the frame rate a game is producing, only engages when four separate pieces are in place.
| Condition | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Console on system version 23.0.0 | System Settings, System, System Update |
| Dock running updated firmware | A separate update, run from the console while docked |
| A TV or monitor that supports VRR | The display itself; the console cannot add it |
| A game patched to declare VRR support | The game’s developer, in a software update |
Miss any one of the four and the console outputs a fixed refresh rate exactly as it did before, with no error message to explain why.
How to Turn On Docked VRR
The dock firmware update is the step people miss, and it lives in a different menu from the system update. Nintendo’s support documentation sets out this sequence:
- Install the system update first, so the console is on version 23.0.0.
- Place the console in its dock, since the dock firmware cannot be written while the console is undocked.
- From the HOME Menu, open System Settings, then System, then Dock Update.
- Select Begin Update. If the dock is already current, a pop-up says so instead.
- Open the Display section of System Settings, where a VRR Settings option now appears, and switch it on.
Nintendo notes that if the dock update stops before finishing, the step can simply be run again.
Which Games Support Docked VRR Today
One: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, the paid tech-demo title that shipped alongside the console. Docked VRR works on a whitelist, so a game does nothing with the feature until its developer flags it as compatible in a patch, according to testing published by Digital Foundry, the technical analysis arm of Eurogamer.
As of 12 September 2026, Welcome Tour is the only title confirmed to use docked VRR, and Nintendo has not published a list of games due to be patched or a date for any of them. The handheld screen, which has supported VRR since launch, is unaffected by the whitelist.
How the Switch 2 VRR Window Compares
The range matters because VRR only smooths frame rates inside its own window. Digital Foundry measured the Switch 2 at a wider low end than Sony’s console.
| Console | VRR window in 60Hz output |
|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 (docked, from 23.0.0) | 40Hz to 60Hz |
| PlayStation 5 | 48Hz to 60Hz |
| Xbox Series X and Series S | 40Hz to 60Hz |
Digital Foundry also reports full low framerate compensation in 120Hz mode, a technique that repeats frames to keep the display inside its supported range when a game drops below the VRR floor. These figures come from Digital Foundry’s hands-on testing rather than from published Nintendo specifications.
The Catch With Black Frame Insertion
Switching VRR on affects games that cannot use it. Digital Foundry’s John Linneman reported that once VRR is enabled in the menu, the console asserts it at all times, including on software with no VRR support.
That matters for anyone who prefers black frame insertion, a motion-clarity technique that inserts blank frames between real ones and generally cannot run at the same time as VRR. Linneman’s advice is to leave VRR switched off in Display settings and enable it only for the specific titles that support it, which for now means one.
What Nintendo Has Not Said
Nintendo has not explained why docked VRR arrived 15 months after the Switch 2 went on sale on 5 June 2025, has not named the games that will be patched, and has not published a list of tested displays. Before launch the company confirmed VRR would be limited to the built-in screen, and it has not commented on what changed since.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Switch 2 docked VRR after update 23.0.0.
Does Switch 2 Docked VRR Work in Every Game?
No. Docked VRR runs on a whitelist, so each game needs a patch from its developer before the feature engages. As of 12 September 2026 the only confirmed title is Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.
Do I Have to Update the Switch 2 Dock for VRR?
Yes. Nintendo states that a Nintendo Switch 2 dock update is required to enable the feature. Install system update 23.0.0 first, then run Dock Update from System Settings with the console in its dock.
What Refresh Rate Range Does Switch 2 Docked VRR Cover?
Digital Foundry measured a 40Hz to 60Hz window in 60Hz output mode, wider at the low end than the PlayStation 5’s 48Hz floor and matching Xbox Series X and Series S. Digital Foundry also reports full low framerate compensation in 120Hz mode.
How Do I Turn Docked VRR Off Again?
Open System Settings, go to Display and switch off VRR Settings. Turning it off is worth doing if you use black frame insertion, because the console asserts VRR on all software once the setting is enabled.
Did Update 23.0.0 Add VRR to the Original Nintendo Switch?
No. Version 23.0.0 was released for both consoles, but the VRR addition applies only to the Nintendo Switch 2. The original Switch received Virtual Game Card changes and stability fixes.
