The Nintendo Switch system update 5.0.0 was released on March 13, bringing with it a number of improvements, new features, and fixes that may not be much of a change. However, the new update may be able to improve the console's functionality and the players' gaming experience.
Most of the changes brought by the update are concerned with additional or improved system functionality. One such additional functionality is the new ability to add the player's friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter once the player links the console to those social media accounts. Those friends and followers will then appear in the Nintendo Switch's Friends Suggestions.
While this can make connecting with friends on Switch easier, perhaps a more vital improvement included in the update concerns Play Activity. Players have reported that when they check games that they began playing a year ago, the play time in those games recently began resetting to zero. This particular issue, however, should be resolved by the recent update.
Another improvement is that software purchases will now be able to download faster, even when the console is in Sleep mode.
The console's Parental Controls also have new improvements. The Parental Controls PIN can now be entered more privately using the Switch's physical joystick and buttons instead of the onscreen number pad, and players can also switch between input methods. It is now also possible to add certain games to the Parental Controls whitelist, and the player's previously-enabled Play-Time Limit will still take effect in whitelisted games.
There are also 24 new "ARMS" and "Kirby" icons for players to use.
Players can now also choose to filter the News they see according to their preferences. There is an option for enabling only unread news or news from a particular channel to appear.
While these are the known additions and improvements to the console, there are also some players who report changes that are not included in the patch notes. Still, it seems that even these unexpected changes have improved player experience.
The full patch notes are available on Nintendo's website.
