Nintendo Switch 2 Finally Gets VRR Support in Docked Mode

With today’s Nintendo Switch 2 system update 23.0.0, Nintendo has finally added one of the console’s most frequently requested features. That’s right, VRR, or Variable Refresh Rate, has finally been unlocked for the Nintendo Switch 2 while playing in TV mode, and this is huge news.

Since launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 has supported VRR while playing in handheld mode, which helps games with inconsistent frame rates look and feel smoother. However, once you placed the console into the dock and connected it to a TV or monitor, that functionality disappeared. Thankfully, that is no longer the case.

For those who aren’t familiar with VRR, the technology allows a compatible display to adjust its refresh rate to match what the console is outputting. It doesn’t magically turn a game running at 30 or 40 frames per second into a 60 FPS game, but it can help smooth out inconsistent frame delivery, reduce screen tearing, and make those fluctuations much less noticeable.

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That’s especially important for games that don’t maintain a perfectly locked frame rate. A game bouncing around between 30 and 40 FPS can look noticeably choppier on a fixed-refresh-rate display, whereas VRR can help make those fluctuations appear smoother. There’s a reason VRR has become such a coveted feature across gaming PCs, handheld PCs, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and now the Nintendo Switch 2 in both handheld and TV mode.

Of course, there’s a catch. Both the game and your TV or monitor need to support VRR, and Nintendo says you’ll also need to update the Nintendo Switch 2 dock before the feature can be enabled. So don’t update the console and immediately assume something is wrong when VRR doesn’t show up.

The timing of this update is also pretty funny for me personally. During PAX West 2026, I had the opportunity to play Elden Ring on the Nintendo Switch 2, and one of the things I mentioned afterward was that VRR could have helped the game look and feel better, especially since the demo was being played on external monitors.

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Had PAX West taken place just one week later, there’s a pretty good chance I wouldn’t have made that comment at all. Now I’m very curious to see how games such as Elden Ring perform once developers start taking advantage of VRR while the Switch 2 is docked.

VRR is easily the biggest addition in this update, but Nintendo packed quite a few other changes into it as well.

Nintendo Switch 2 Update Notes

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• GameChat has been updated so the list of chats you can join now includes chats you’ve previously participated in.
• When starting a new GameChat, you can enter a room without selecting a friend first.
• A new option has been added to the menu that appears when pressing the C Button during a chat, allowing you to change the screen size.
• A Settings option has been added to Virtual Game Cards, allowing you to check which consoles are registered to use virtual game cards.
• VRR output is now supported while playing in TV mode. When both the software and connected TV support VRR, the refresh rate can adjust based on the game’s performance.
• The Nintendo Switch 2 dock must also be updated before TV mode VRR can be enabled.
• Full system transfers between Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are now supported, including save data, screenshots, and other system data.
• Portuguese (Brazil) support has been added to several accessibility and speech features.
• TV audio settings can now be saved separately for each connected TV.
• “Dock Output Information” has been renamed to “Video Output Information,” which now provides more detailed information about supported video signals.
• VRR settings have been added under Display settings.
• Miis can now be converted into QR codes for sharing with other users.
• The TV mode wake-up sound can now be previewed while adjusting its volume.
• Handheld Mode Boost can now be added to Quick Settings, allowing it to be toggled by holding the HOME Button.
• A new system transfer option has been added under System settings.
• If a virtual game card cannot be transferred from another console because that console is offline, the purchaser can temporarily launch the game using an online license.
• Background music has been added to the Mii editing screen, along with controls for changing or disabling the music.
• Other controllers can now be used during Handheld Mode Boost even while the Joy-Con 2 controllers remain attached.
• Play history can now combine playtime for the same software across multiple Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.
• Nintendo has also addressed various issues and made additional system stability improvements.

For me, though, VRR is the headline here. This was one of the biggest omissions from the Nintendo Switch 2’s docked experience, especially considering the hardware already supported the feature on its built-in display.

Now that TV mode finally has VRR support, I’m looking forward to going back and testing several Switch 2 games on a compatible display to see just how much of a difference it makes. And yes, Elden Ring is definitely going to be one of them.

nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 Variable Refresh Rate VRR