Switch Firmware Update Out Now With Hidden Changes

A new firmware update is out now for the Nintendo Switch, but don’t expect too much in terms of meaningful changes or improvements. The patch notes shared on Nintendo’s website mention only that there are “general stability improvements,” but that’s not the entire story.

Dataminer OatmealDome discovered that hidden inside update 16.0.1 are changes that adjust the banned words list to reduce accidental blocks. Additionally, words on the banned list were added and removed in some languages, according to OatmealDome.

What’s more, there were some changes to the Background Content Asymmetric Transmission (BCAT) system that OatmealDome believes are related to bug fixes.

This was the second Switch firmware update of 2023, following one in February that also primarily focused on general stability improvements.

Ver. 16.0.1 (Released March 22, 2023)

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

The Switch has sold 122.5 million units as of December 31, 2022. It is now the third best-selling console of all time. Nintendo just recently released a new Switch bundle to celebrate Mario Day.

There have been ongoing rumors of a new, more powerful Switch console–the Switch Pro–but those reports never materialized into a real product. A next-gen Nintendo console will launch in late 2024, according to one research firm, but this might not be anything beyond pure speculation.

Nintendo’s next big game is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and its release this May will no doubt help spur Switch sales even further. The game itself could be a bigger money-maker, too, thanks to its new, more expensive $70 price point.