Switch 2 gets 23.0.1: Nintendo fixes the delays when opening and closing games

Nintendo has released system update 23.0.1 for Nintendo Switch 2, a small version that adds no new features but fixes something many users had been quietly putting up with. As reported by Vandal, the patch corrects an error that appeared after version 23.0.0 and could make certain software take longer than usual to launch, pause or close. Nintendo has not specified which games or applications were affected, nor under what circumstances the problem occurred.

It may seem like a minor detail, but for anyone who plays seriously or streams from the console, the time between pressing a button and the machine responding is part of the experience. An unexpected wait when returning to the menu, pausing a match or launching a title right before going live is exactly the kind of annoyance that breaks your rhythm. Nintendo reacting within a few weeks is good news, although the silence about the real scope of the bug leaves questions unanswered.

What you need to know

• Available now: version 23.0.1 can be downloaded on Nintendo Switch 2 starting today.
• Fix only: it includes no new features; its sole purpose is to solve one specific problem.
• The bug: some software took longer than normal to launch, pause or close after installing 23.0.0.
• No details: Nintendo has not said which games were affected or what caused the behavior.
• Background: 23.0.0, released on September 9, was a far more ambitious update that added, among other things, VRR support when playing on a TV.

From 23.0.0 to 23.0.1: what changed and what broke

Update 23.0.0 was one of the big ones. Its headline feature was support for VRR, variable refresh rate, when playing connected to a TV. It is a feature the competitive community had been requesting for a long time, because it lets the image adapt to the game's actual frame rate and reduces stutter and screen tearing. That said, installing the firmware is not enough: you need a compatible display and you also have to update the console's dock.

The problem is that this improvement came with a side effect that Nintendo has taken a few weeks to correct. Version 23.0.1 exists with a single mission: to bring launch, pause and close times back to normal. There are no other changes in the official notes covered by Vandal.

Who is affected

In theory, any Switch 2 user who installed 23.0.0. In practice, with no list of affected games, the sensible thing is to assume it could hit anyone and update without waiting. The news headline also mentions the original Switch, although the detailed notes focus on Switch 2.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz editorial team, we appreciate that Nintendo plugged the hole quickly. On a console built around immediacy, with a Home button we press dozens of times per session, any delay is noticeable and irritating. Getting the fix in weeks rather than months is the bare minimum, and that bar has been met here.

What does not convince us is the lack of transparency. Saying that certain software could take longer, without naming any or explaining the conditions, leaves competitive players not knowing whether their main title was among those affected. For a content creator planning streams, or for a team preparing a scrim, that information matters: it lets you decide whether to update right away or wait for the community to confirm the patch brings no new surprises. Nintendo has a huge, mature community that would know how to read a somewhat more complete technical note.

It is also worth remembering the underlying lesson: big updates with attractive features like VRR tend to come with regressions. Our advice to the community is clear. Update, but give yourself a margin, never right before a competition or an important stream, and check that your usual games respond as they always have before considering the patch good to go.

What do you think?

Had you noticed those odd delays when opening or pausing a game since installing 23.0.0, or had it slipped past you? Do you think Nintendo should be clearer about explaining what its updates fix? Tell us in the team chat or on our Discord: has 23.0.1 solved the problem on your console?