Well, that's a tidy little overnight update to wake up to!
In case you missed it, Nintendo's latest Switch 2 firmware update includes a neat new feature for Switch 1 backwards compatibility called Handheld Boost Mode.
Long story short: when activated, it forces all backwards-compatible Switch 1 games to play and display on the Switch 2's handheld screen as if they were outputting to a TV in docked mode. This means up to 1080p resolution, rather than the Switch 1's maximum handheld resolution of 720p (as per that console's screen).
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Generally speaking, this translates to sharper visuals across the board as the Switch's extra grunt is put to use delivering docked-mode-level visuals on its 1080p handheld screen. Sweet!
There are caveats - specifically, you're technically playing in docked mode as far as the software's concerned, so onscreen prompts may not reflect how you're playing. Touchscreen functionality can also be affected, so although things will generally look sharper, it's not quite a 'turn it on and forget about it' situation.
Our PSA post covers how to activate and deactivate the new boost mode in the Settings menu, and we're currently diving into our Switch 1 library to see which ones are most improved. It's early doors, but when switching back between the Boosted and non-Boosted modes, straightaway, little things like UI text look noticeably sharper. Observe the zoomed-in menu screen text from We Love Katamari:
We'll be working up a selection of the most improved Switch 1 games to check out using this natty new feature (yes, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will be one of the first we fire up), but in the meantime, we thought we'd get your takes.
The update has only been live a few hours, but which Switch 1 games have you been most impressed by with Handheld Boost mode engaged? Feel free to take to the comments and drop suggestions for S1 games that we and the wider Nintendo Life community should dip into pronto. Alternatively, use the poll below to let us know the games you're rediscovering.