Nintendo Switch system software

Nintendo Switch system software

Operating system and user interface of the Nintendo Switch
Developer	Nintendo HAL Laboratory
OS family	Derivative of Nintendo 3DS system software
Working state	Current
Source model	Closed source
Initial release	1.0.0 / 3 March 2017 (2017-03-03)
Latest release	8.1.0 / 17 June 2019 (2019-06-17)
Repository	<strong%20class= "error"><span%20class="scribunto-error%20mw-scribunto-error-76ca46da">Lua%20error%20in%20Module:Wd%20at%20line%20171:%20attempt%20to%20index%20field%20'wikibase'%20(a%20nil%20value). http://<strong%20class="error"><span%20class="scribunto-error%20mw-scribunto-error-76ca46da">Lua%20error%20in%20Module:Wd%20at%20line%20171:%20attempt%20to%20index%20field%20'wikibase'%20(a%20nil%20value).
Available in	American English, British English, European French, Canadian French, German, Latin American Spanish, European Spanish, Italian, Dutch, European Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean
Update method	Direct download Game Card
Platforms	Nintendo Switch
Preceded by	Nintendo 3DS system software Wii U system software
Official website	{{#property:P856}}

The Nintendo Switch system software is an updatable firmware and operating system used by the Nintendo Switch video game console.

Technology

OS

Nintendo has released limited information about the Switch's internals into the public. Computer security researchers as well as developers of the Nintendo 3DS emulator Citra analyzed the operating system. They found that the operating system's internal name is Horizon, that it is an evolution of the Nintendo 3DS system software, and that it implements a microkernel architecture. All drivers run in userspace, including the Nvidia driver which the security researchers described as “kind of similar to the Linux driver”. The graphics driver features an undocumented thin API layer, called NVN, which is “kind of like Vulkan”. All userspace processes use Address Space Layout Randomization and are sandboxed. According to the Nintendo Switch system software's licensing information, code from FreeBSD kernel is utilized by Horizon.

Horizon utilizes several components from Android such as the Stagefright multimedia framework. According to the Citra authors – who have also begun to develop a Switch emulator called yuzu – “Nintendo re-purposed the Android graphics stack and used it in the Switch for rendering.”

Rendering of web content is done via WebKit. Although an end-user web browser is not available on the console thus far, a WebKit applet is still accessible when connecting to a network that requires a web login, and the WebKit applet is also used for several operating system functions, such as the Nintendo eShop.

Unlike previous consoles, Nintendo purposefully designed the system software to be as minimalist as possible, with the home menu running under 200 kilobytes. This minimalism is meant to improve system performance and launch games faster.

User interface

Home Screen

The Nintendo Switch home screen has battery, internet and time information in the top right corner, and below it is a grid showing all software on the system, downloaded or physical. Underneath that it has shortcuts to OS functions such as the Nintendo eShop, settings, a sleep mode button and more.

News

The News function of the Nintendo Switch software allows users to read gaming news and advertisements provided by Nintendo and third-party developers. News is also displayed when the system is locked.

The News interface was originally available in the 1.0.0 version of the software, however new headlines were not transmitted until the 2.0.0 update was released. The 3.0.0 update revamped the News system, adding multiple news "channels" for different games that users can subscribe to. The news headlines that appear depend on which channels are subscribed to. The 4.0.0 update further improved the News screen, updating its layout.

Nintendo eShop

Main article: Nintendo eShop

The Nintendo eShop option on the Home menu opens a WebKit-based interface that allows games to be purchased and downloaded from the Nintendo eShop.

Album

The Album stores captured screenshots and videos. Pressing the "Capture" button on the controller, in supported software, will save a screenshot, either to the microSD card, or to the system memory. The Album allows users to view screenshots that have been taken. Screenshots can be edited by adding text, and they can be shared to Facebook or Twitter. In addition, in supported games, holding down the Capture button briefly will save the last 30 seconds of video to the Album. It can then be trimmed and posted online.

The 2.0.0 update added the ability to post screenshots to Facebook or Twitter from within the system UI, making it easier to share screenshots. The 4.0.0 update added support for saving 30 second videos, in compatible games.

Controllers

The Controllers menu allows controllers to be paired, disconnected, or reconnected. The 3.0.0 update added the "Find Controllers" option, which allows any nearby controllers that have been paired to be remotely turned on and vibrated, to help find lost controllers.

Settings

The Settings option allows for system settings to be changed, and includes other functionality, such as creating Miis.

History of updates

The initial version of the system software for Nintendo Switch on the launch day consoles was updated as a "day one" patch on 3 March 2017, the console's launch date. The update added online features that were previously missing from the original software before its official launch date. Some notable features of this update are access to the Nintendo eShop as well as the ability to add friends to a friends list, similar to that of the Nintendo 3DS.

Nintendo Switch System Software Release History
Version	Release date	Features
1.0.0	Before console release	Initial release of Nintendo Switch system software
2.0.0	3 March 2017 (2017-03-03)	Games can now be played online Friends list added Screenshots can now be posted to Facebook and Twitter Nintendo eShop made available Nintendo News added My Nintendo reward points can now be earned for retail games On TVs compatible with HDMI-CEC, the TV will automatically turn on when the Switch turns on Battery percentage displayed on Home Menu Added a microSD format option
2.1.0	27 March 2017 (2017-03-27)	Undisclosed changes
2.2.0	17 April 2017 (2017-04-17)	Undisclosed changes
2.3.0	15 May 2017 (2017-05-15)	Undisclosed changes
3.0.0	19 June 2017 (2017-06-19)	Channels for specific topics can now be subscribed to in News Users can now send requests to people already on their Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Friend Lists Notifications for when friends go online Paired controllers can now be found through the vibration feature The order of user profiles can now be changed 6 new Splatoon 2 profile icons added Quick Settings now allows users to change the system volume The maximum sound volume can now be altered Inverted Colors and Grayscale color formats are now available USB keyboards are now usable when docked The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller can now be used over a USB cable Option in Settings to update the firmware of controllers The system will automatically suggest software to delete when there is not enough space for a download Undisclosed changes
3.0.1	31 July 2017 (2017-07-31)	Bug fixes, including: Addressed an issue in which the remaining battery charge can't be displayed accurately
3.0.2	5 September 2017 (2017-09-05)	Added "Nintendo Switch Online" service Online play now available in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru (until 18 September 2018, when Nintendo Switch Online was released) Undisclosed changes and bug fixes
4.0.0	18 October 2017 (2017-10-18)	Users can now hold the Capture button to record the last 30 seconds of gameplay to the Album 12 profile pictures from Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have been added User profiles and save data can now be transferred Games on the Nintendo eShop can now be pre-ordered New design for the News Feed Unfollowing a news channel will now remove all of its content from the News feed until it is re-followed New feature that allows a group of players to update their software Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean languages are made available Support for USB headsets Support for USB controllers, such as GameCube Controllers via adapters Undisclosed changes and bug fixes
4.0.1	25 October 2017 (2017-10-25)	Bug fixes, including: Changed the HDMI connection process specification to match that of version 3.0.2 to address video and sound output issues with some TV models
4.1.0	4 December 2017 (2017-12-04)	Bug fixes, including: Resolved an issue that caused motion controls to respond incorrectly when playing games that use this feature
5.0.0	12 March 2018 (2018-03-12)	Friends can now be added via Facebook and Twitter 24 new profile pictures, based on Arms and the Kirby series Purchases made using a PC or phone now start downloading faster Filters added to News Parental Controls PIN entry interface has been changed Captured videos in Album are now restricted based on Parental Controls Specific games can now be whitelisted using Parental Controls A notification is now sent when pre-purchased software is made available to play The UI now displays the color of Nintendo Switch Pro Controllers Bug fixes, including: Fixed a bug that caused an incorrect play time display on user pages
5.0.1	26 March 2018 (2018-03-26)	Undisclosed changes
5.0.2	16 April 2018 (2018-04-16)	Undisclosed changes and bug fixes, including: Fix an issue that caused motion controls to respond incorrectly Fix a display issue with icons for recommended friends
5.1.0	30 May 2018 (2018-05-30)	Undisclosed changes
6.0.0	18 September 2018 (2018-09-18)	Updates regarding Nintendo Switch Online
6.0.1	8 October 2018 (2018-10-08)	General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience, including: Resolved an issue where internet connection test does not display correct results for download and upload speed Resolved an issue where some licensed controllers' motion controls such as tilt function respond incorrectly
6.1.0	29 October 2018 (2018-10-29)	General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience, including: Resolved an issue where certain games don't recognize a Nintendo Switch Online membership for a short time after purchase
6.2.0	19 November 2018 (2018-11-19)	Updates TSEC Encryption and Boot Process in an effort to combat console hacking/piracy/homebrew
7.0.0	28 January 2019 (2019-01-28)	Added 6 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe profile pictures HOME menu now supports Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional) and Korean languages General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience
7.0.1	18 February 2019 (2019-02-18)	General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience, including: Resolved an issue where the Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! games cannot reconnect to the Pokémon Go app if the game software was closed after pairing it with the app
8.0.0	15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)	General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience, including: A Sort Software feature is available after selecting to view All Software from the Home Menu Software can be sorted by time last played, total play time, software title, and software publisher The All Software option displays when there are 13 or more software icons on the Home Menu A View All Available News option is available within News > Channel List > View More, allowing you to view all news items currently being distributed Select from 15 new icons from the Splatoon 2 and Yoshi's Crafted World games for your user A feature to Transfer Your Save Data is now available, allowing you to transfer your save data for individual games between your Nintendo Switch systems Save data will not remain on your source system after the transfer process completes A Zoom feature can be enabled from within System Settings Once enabled, you can use the Zoom feature by pressing the Home Button twice An option is available to prevent the system from waking from Sleep Mode when an AC adapter is disconnected This also applies when undocking your console A VR Mode (3D Visuals) restriction is available within Parental Controls Hong Kong / Taiwan / South Korea is available for selection in Settings > System > Region The following names have been changed (functionality remains the same) Save Data Cloud Backup > Save Data Cloud Transfer Your User and Save Data > Transfer Your User Data
8.0.1	23 April 2019 (2019-04-23)	Undisclosed changes
8.1.0	17 June 2019 (2019-06-17)	General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience

Alternative System Software

On October 17th 2018, a custom firmware named Atmosphère was first released. There are many different custom firmwares for the system, two of the most popular being ReiNX and SX OS.

External links

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