The company had initially announced then subsequently dropped the feature.
Nintendo has finally delivered Switch 2 docked variable refresh rate (VRR) support for TV gaming, after initially announcing and then quietly dropping the feature, the company announced on its Japanese site. “VRR output is now support in TV mode,” Nintendo wrote. “When both the software and the TV support it, the video will be output at a refresh rate that matches the game’s processing speed. An update to the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock is required to enable this feature.”
VRR reduces judder, tearing and other screen issues by matching your TV’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate. When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 last year, the company said that the console would support the feature in both handheld and docked (TV) modes. While it did indeed deliver VRR on the handheld OLED display, Nintendo scrubbed information about docked VRR support and subsequently confirmed that it would be a handheld-only feature.
In July, though, Nintendo posted a job listing seeking a “senior display engineer” with “knowledge of display technologies such as HDR and VRR.” That suggested strongly that it was still working on the feature, which is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC.
Along with the VRR support, the new Switch 2 firmware update includes a new handheld boost toggle, an update to the Mii editor and the ability to transfer your entire system to another Switch 2 console. Just yesterday during its Direct event, Nintendo unveiled Metroid Ravenous and a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, and will release a 40th-anniversary Legend of Zelda-themed Switch 2 console next month.
