Nintendo Switch Update Fixes Nasty Sleep Mode Bug

Here’s something annoying. You buy a new game on Switch, or maybe need a big update to download. The process starts and then you walk away to do something else. Only you come back later, after the Switch is in sleep mode, and it’s somehow still not finished. The good news is that the Nintendo device getting finicky with downloads while resting was a glitch.

According to a new system update, this ongoing issue should now be addressed. This week’s firmware update 19.0.1 includes the following patch notes via dataminer OatMealDome:

• Fixed an issue where GameCube controllers may not be recognized.

• Fixed an issue where communication processes like downloads may not function correctly in sleep mode.

It’s a small fix to be sure, but one with big implications for the usability and lowkey quality of life of Switch players. The device’s WiFi is already crap, so downloads pausing in sleep mode was especially annoying. Imagine The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom comes out at midnight. You initiate the installation and go to sleep and eight hours later it’s somehow still downloading?

The other bug fix in the update likely impacted many fewer players, but will be a godsend all the same for Smash Bros. fans. The console was having a tough time recently recognizing GameCube controllers attached using adapters, a common enough thing for fans of the platform fighter raised on its Melee incarnation. It sounds like those connection issues are resolved now as well.

Now all the Switch needs is a sleep mode that uses way less battery when there aren’t things downloading. The only thing worse than waiting for a game to install is coming back to your Switch and seeing the battery life in the single digits. Hopefully the Switch 2 is able to tap into whatever dark magic was powering the PlayStation Vita’s power-saving mode.