Nintendo Switch update adds video capture and profile transfers

Nintendo's convertible Switch console has a new software update available, and owners will likely want to grab version 4.0.0 of its OS right away. Finally, Switch owners can transfer their saved games and user profiles to another system and in "select games" it also has video capture. At launch, that list includes The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, and Splatoon 2.

In a world full of Twitch streams and YouTube Let's Plays that should be well received. Just like before, gamers can press the capture button to take a screenshot, but after the update, they can press and hold it to record the last 30 seconds of play in their album, ready for sharing to Facebook or Twitter.

The ability to transfer data is bittersweet, however, since it doesn't appear to support backups. As described in Nintendo's FAQ, you'll need both systems to transfer data from one to another, and the only option available moves all profile data including saves and eShop purchases from one system to the next. As a result, it's useful if you've been playing on someone else's system, then buy your own and want to move your data over, but it's still not useful if the original system is broken, stolen or lost.

Other new features include profile icons with characters from Super Mario Odyssey (just ahead of its release on October 27th) and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as well as the option to pre-order and pre-download games in Nintendo's eShop on the Switch (again, just in time for Super Mario Odyssey). The News Feed has a new look, and if you're in a group of local users it can easily update everyone's system software to the latest version. Switch owners who have installed the patch also note there's also a Joy-con update available (check the Controllers section under settings), although it's unclear what that changes.