Somewhere in the everyday business of owning a game console lies a small, familiar gap between what a machine can do and what its owner has been shown. Lifehacker's guide gathers ten such hidden capabilities across the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, from a dark home screen to shared multiplayer on a single game copy. The features sit several menus deep, waiting for someone patient enough to look. Their clock is also running: free access to the online chat feature ends on March 31, 2026.
10 Hidden Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 Settings Worth Knowing, From Dark Mode to Button Remapping
Useful features tucked several menus deep
Mark
Why does a list of settings tips deserve a read?
Mimi
Because the consoles hide a lot. Dark mode, remapping, and archiving all sit several menus deep, and the guide gives exact paths for both the Switch and Switch 2.
Mark
GameShare and GameChat sound similar. What's the difference?
Mimi
GameShare is local and streams a game from a Switch 2 to nearby Switch 2 and original Switch systems. GameChat is online, Switch 2 only, and starts from a chat session with a friend.
Luke
Does it work for every game?
Mimi
No. Both are limited to certain titles, and the way you access them varies by game.
Luke
The dark mode battery claim, how solid is it?
Mimi
The guide says it could save battery on a Switch OLED. That is hedged, with no figure given, so treat it as a possibility.
Mark
What's the one date to remember?
Mimi
March 31, 2026. GameChat is free for Switch 2 owners until then, and after that it needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Luke
Is there anything the guide doesn't tell us?
Mimi
It doesn't say what the membership costs. Also, the source text cuts off during the transfer section, so the remaining tips aren't covered here.
Mark
Any risk in these tricks?
Mimi
One: a system transfer without the original Switch present factory resets that console, so the guide advises against it.
O Pulso
- Useful features are buried so deep in settings that most owners never discover them.
- Storage fills fast on both consoles, forcing players to choose between games and space.
- Friends hoping to play together on one copy must navigate separate menus and title-specific rules.
- GameChat's free period closes on March 31, 2026, and after that a Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required.
Somewhere in the everyday business of owning a game console lies a small, familiar gap between what a machine can do and what its owner has been shown. Lifehacker's guide gathers ten such hidden capabilities across the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, from a dark home screen to shared multiplayer on a single game copy. The features sit several menus deep, waiting for someone patient enough to look. Their clock is also running: free access to the online chat feature ends on March 31, 2026.
Turning the Switch's home screen black takes about four taps, but no one stumbles onto it by accident. Open System Settings, pick Themes, and choose Basic Dark, and the menus go dark while games remain untouched. Lifehacker's guide argues that much of what makes these consoles pleasant is tucked away this way, and its ten tips follow that pattern, beginning with controls.
Button remapping differs between the two systems but serves the same purpose. The Switch 2 adds mid-session remapping, extra GL and GR buttons on compatible controllers, and an option to swap A and B for Xbox-style placement.
Multiplayer with a single copy is where the guide becomes most practical. GameShare lets a Switch 2 owner stream a game to nearby consoles for local play, though only certain titles support it. GameChat adds voice, video and shared play online, but only on Switch 2 and only until March 31, 2026.
Storage and sharing round out the list. Archiving keeps home icons while freeing space, and save data stays safe unless deleted on purpose. Captures can be sent to a phone or uploaded automatically, with Nintendo's servers holding a limited number for 30 days. Finally, upgraders can move their data through a system transfer during Switch 2 setup, and that March date is the one to keep in mind.
Turning the Switch's home screen black takes about four taps, but you would never find it by accident. On both the original Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2, you open System Settings, which is the cog in the taskbar, scroll to Themes, and pick Basic Dark. Home screen and menu pages go dark. Games themselves are unaffected. Lifehacker's guide says the change could stretch battery life on a Switch OLED model.
That is the pattern in this guide: features that are useful but tucked several menus deep. The writer says the consoles are easy to jump into, yet even making a Mii or toggling dark mode means working through settings screens. The piece collects ten such tips, and the first group concerns controls.
Button remapping works on both systems, though the path differs. On the original Switch, go to System Settings, then Controllers and Sensors, then Change Button Mapping. It covers Joy-Cons, the Pro Controller and some third-party options. On the Switch 2, the setting sits under Accessibility, then Button Mapping, and covers Joy-Con 2 controllers, the Switch Pro or Pro 2 controller, and Joy-Con 2 units connected through the charging grip. You can also add Button Mapping to Quick Settings, then hold the physical Home button and choose Edit Mapping mid-session. Under Controllers & Accessories, Switch 2 owners with a Pro Controller or charging grip can set the extra GL and GR buttons, adjust or disable Joy-Con 2 mouse controls and their sensitivity, or use Swap A and B to match Xbox-style placement.
The guide then turns to multiplayer with a single copy of a game. GameShare is a Switch 2 feature that lets a Switch 2 owner stream a game to nearby Switch 2 and original Switch systems for local play, much like Nintendo DS Download Play. It works only in certain titles, and access varies. In Super Mario Odyssey, you pick GameShare + Local Play when starting or resuming a two-player game, wait for others to join, then choose Start. Guests open GameShare from the taskbar, the icon of a TV receiving a signal, and look under Join GameShare. Even Switch 2 exclusives can work this way: Donkey Kong Bananza supports GameShare, so original Switch owners can join.
GameChat is the online counterpart, exclusive to Switch 2 and limited to certain games. You start a session with a friend by pressing the physical C button or choosing the C icon on the main menu. That allows voice chat, viewing each other's gameplay and, with cameras, video feeds. Then you share the game through its menu, and people in the chat can play immediately without joining from a separate screen. GameChat is free for Switch 2 owners until March 31, 2026, after which it requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Storage is the next concern, since neither console is generous and big games fill it fast. On the original Switch, press + on a game, then choose Manage Software and Archive Software. Delete Software also works but removes the home icon, forcing a trip to the eShop to redownload. Under Data Management, Quick Archive shows each game's size and the space you would recover, and lets you clear screenshots and videos by pressing X. On the Switch 2, Delete now behaves like Archive by default, and you can uncheck Keep HOME Menu Icon. Neither console erases save data in these steps; that requires Delete Save Data under Data Management. Games can also move between internal storage and a microSD card, though the Switch 2 requires a microSD Express card.
For sharing captures, the original Switch requires doing it manually: open Album, select an item, press A, choose Send to Smartphone, then pick Only This One or Send a Batch. The Switch 2 can upload manually or automatically, through Upload Settings and Automatic Uploads in the Album. Uploads live on Nintendo's servers, not your phone, with up to 100 files kept for 30 days each. Beyond that, the oldest are removed first, though originals stay on the console.
The last section covers transferring data between systems. The easiest route for upgraders is a system transfer, offered only during Switch 2 setup on the screen titled To Nintendo Switch Console Owners. Keep both consoles close and choose Begin System Transfer. Doing it without the original present is possible but factory resets that device. With GameChat's free period ending March 31, 2026, that is the date to watch.
Citações Notáveis
A system transfer without the original Switch present is possible but not advised, since it factory resets that device.— Lifehacker guide (paraphrased)
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em Lifehacker ↗
General News