Nintendo confirms Switch 2 won’t be quite as good in docked mode as we first thought
One of Switch 2's display features is only available in handheld mode, not docked
😞 Nintendo has finally confirmed that the Switch 2 supports variable refresh rate, but only in handheld mode
🤔 This had previously been mentioned by Nvidia in the context of their own G-Sync VRR solution
😖 It was listed that Switch 2 would support VRR also while the console was docked, but this now isn't the case
👍 VRR is a display technology that eliminates horrible screen tearing and juddering that can occur when playing games with unstable frame rates
Nintendo has finally confirmed that the Switch 2 has variable refresh rate, but only when the console is in handheld mode – not in docked mode.
The confirmation comes a month after the feature mysteriously disappeared from the product pages for the console on Nintendo's US and Canadian website, leading to many concluding the Switch 2 display feature might not work when docked.
Nintendo released the following statement to Nintendo Life: “Switch 2 supports VRR in handheld mode only. The incorrect information was initially published on the Nintendo Switch 2 website, and we apologize for the error.”
When asked whether VRR could come to docked mode in the future via an update, Nintendo said: “We have nothing to announce on this topic.” Not an outright no, then.
You can read Nintendo’s old and new website descriptions below:
Before: Take in all the detail with screen resolutions up to 4K when you connect the Nintendo Switch 2 system to a compatible TV using the dedicated dock. The system also supports HDR, VRR, and frame rates up to 120 fps on compatible TVs.
After: Take in all the detail with screen resolutions up to 4K when you connect the Nintendo Switch 2 system to a compatible TV using the dedicated dock. The system also supports HDR and frame rates up to 120 fps on compatible TVs.
The news also comes after Nvidia confirmed that the Switch 2 supports G-Sync, their own variable refresh rate tech, when in handheld mode.
The fact that the Switch 2 supports VRR, or variable refresh rate, at least in handheld mode, will mean that games will be able to run smoothly without any of the dreaded tearing or juddering at different refresh rates, such as 40fps – a popular frame rate for Steam Deck users.
However, it’s frustrating for those who were looking forward to playing the Switch 2 primarily in docked mode, where the console is capable of outputting at 4K resolution and more graphical fidelity.
We already know the console has had some other major upgrades internally, such as a bigger 7.9-inch screen with an upgraded Full HD resolution, alongside 120fps support in certain games. In addition, it can also use Nvidia's DLSS upscaling technology and has RT cores for ray tracing.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.