New Nintendo Switch Firmware Update 16.0.1 Released But It Doesn’t Appear to Do Much

A new Nintendo Switch system update, Nintendo Switch firmware update 16.0.1, has been deployed, and here’s what it does.

The new system update is available for download globally and should be downloaded to your system automatically if connected to the internet and enabled in the platform’s settings. Of course, the new firmware can also be downloaded manually via the system update setting.

Now, what does this new update include? You might have guessed it going by previous Switch firmware versions – more stability! By now, Nintendo’s platform might be even more stable than Sony’s PlayStation 4 which also received stability improvements aplenty.

For the sake of completeness, we’ve completed the release notes, as released by Nintendo on the official Switch support page, down below:

Nintendo Switch Firmware Update 16.0.1 Release Notes

• General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience.

As always with these firmware updates, however, there are also some under-the-hood changes, but these are minor this time around as well. As posted by Switch data miner ‘OatMealDome’ on Twitter, the new firmware update updates the platform’s bad words list to reduce erroneous blocking. New words were added and removed as well. In addition, the update packs a change to the “BCAT” system module.

The “BCAT” system module was changed in some way, but I’m not sure how. That being said, it’s probably a bug fix (or fixes?) given how difference reports show no major changes.

And… that’s it.

— OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) March 23, 2023

Last month, Nintendo rolled out the 16.0 firmware update for the Switch. This system update also included stability improvements as well as some changes to nicknames and under-the-hood changes.

The Nintendo Switch is available worldwide now. Nintendo’s hybrid platform was released in March of 2017 and has now entered its sixth year on the market. Ever since the platform’s release, sales have been extraordinary with the console recently surpassing lifetime PlayStation 4 sales globally – quite the achievement considering that Sony managed to sell over 117 million PS4 units. Whether the Switch will be able to beat the best-selling console of all time, the PlayStation 2, remains to be seen.