Lost your Joy-Con? Nintendo’s new Switch firmware will help you find it

By Jon Martindale June 20, 2017

Nintendo Switch review — Mike Epstein/Digital Trends

Nintendo has released firmware version 3.0 for the Nintendo Switch, adding a number of new features, including one that helps find Joy-Cons that have slipped down the side of the couch. It also helps you bring over old friends from your 3DS and Wii U systems, and lets you connect a USB keyboard to make text communication far easier.

Since the Nintendo Switch first debuted in March, Nintendo has released a number of firmware updates that have improved stability and enhanced the user experience. This latest version, 3.0, goes well beyond that, though, and adds a number of exciting and much-requested features.

USB keyboard support is a big one, making it much easier to type to friends or search on the Nintendo store, but it’s far from the only one. You can now remotely enable the Joy-Con vibration feature, making it easy to find them if lost and you can now change the user icon on the Home Menu, with a selection of six new Splatoon 2 characters to choose from, as well as the original options.

Other changes include the ability to adjust the system volume from the quick settings menu, the option to drop the maximum volume for headphone or speakers connected to the audio jack, and a choice of advanced screen color effects, letting you invert what’s on screen, or switch to grayscale.

Further improving its online service, Nintendo has also made it possible to import your friends from lists on the 3DS and Wii U. After applying this latest update, you’ll also receive new notifications when your friends go online, making it easier to connect with them for joint gaming experiences.

To top it all off, this firmware update adds the option to subscribe to certain game feeds and news sources, helping you stay up to date with the latest happenings with your favorite, or most anticipated games.

Your Switch should download the latest firmware update itself, but if it doesn’t, try restarting the system. You can also check which version you’re running in the settings menu, as well as trigger a manual update from there.

If you’re having any other problems with your Switch, check out our handy guide for some of the most common fixes.

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