The latest system update for the Nintendo Switch has reportedly improved the eShop drastically.
Since the release of the Switch back in 2017, users have complained that the eShop runs slowly – these complaints have only increased as the number of games added to the eShop continues to grow and browsing them becomes even more time-consuming.
With the release of Switch firmware version 22.5.0 on Monday, however, Nintendo has announced that “the Nintendo eShop layout has been redesigned”, and will now support a dark mode if the player’s system theme is set to Basic Dark.
It’s this second patch note that appears to give away what has happened. Until now, the Nintendo Switch eShop was essentially a self-contained web browser that opened in the Switch, meaning players were navigating a (relatively slow) website.
This latest update appears to replace the browser with a native eShop app (similar to the one on Switch 2). While the contents are still being pulled from Nintendo’s servers, the interface is now a local app (hence its ability to now implement the system theme, something a simple website couldn’t do) and runs faster.
The switch from a browser to a native app also means users can now apply a PIN code when accessing the eShop and when using saved payment methods, as a way of added security to prevent other users (such as children) from making purchases without permission.
Switch 2 also received a system update on Monday, bringing its firmware up to version 22.5.0 too.
Given that its eShop is already a native app, however, the Switch 2’s patch notes only list the addition of Dutch and Russian in the console’s ‘Text to Speech’ and ‘Speech to Text During GameChat’ accessibility settings.
