Nintendo Switch firmware gets new update for storage management

Maybe you’ve tried to download games to your Switch, you might have gotten a message due to a lack of space. Not everyone knows off the top of their head how much space they have available! I know I don’t. But in Nintendo’s latest Switch update, there’s now a helpful feature.

It’s a rather simple one, actually. Below are the patch notes:

Ver. 12.1.0 (Released July 5, 2024)

Added the following system functionality:

If there is not enough space remaining on the system memory (internal storage) or microSD card when downloading game software update data, you can now delete old data for that software, enabling you to download the new data.

When deleting the old data, you won’t be able to play the game until the new data has finished downloading.

General system stability improvements have been made to enhance the user’s experience.

See? Simple! But long overdue. Now, I would assume, people can easily make space for their downloads instead of getting an error message. We shall see!

The update also added some “general system stability improvements,” which seems to be a reoccurring phrase in Nintendo’s patch notes.

Last month, Switch owners were having problems downloading games after an earlier stability update. As Kotaku reported at the time, a number of Switch users were getting a specific error code, 2123-1502, while trying to download games and updates with the ver.12.0.3 firmware installed on their systems.

The latest update seems helpful, but as any Switch owner can probably tell you, there is a laundry list of things that could or should be added. Maybe Nintendo will get around to them. Eventually.

(*cough* folders *cough*)

If you’re not sure you’re running the current version, as Nintendo points out, you can verify through the System Menu and manually update from the System Settings.