Switch 2’s new “Handheld Mode Boost” can run original Switch games at 1080p

Even with Handheld Mode Boost enabled, the Switch 2 still takes screenshots of Switch 1 games at 720p in handheld mode, making it difficult to capture screenshots depicting the setting in action. But in the two unpatched Switch games we tested (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe And Dragon Quest XI S), it worked as expected: 2D and 3D elements were sharper, and things like drawing distance and texture quality looked like they did in TV mode rather than handheld mode.

Nintendo points out several potential downsides to Handheld Mode Boost. Obviously, running games at higher settings can increase the console’s power consumption, which reduces battery life. And because games “think” they’re running on a TV, you won’t be able to use the touchscreen, and connected Joy-Cons will register on the console as a single Pro Controller rather than as a pair of Joy-Cons. Games that display different game instructions when docked may also be affected.

Handheld Mode Boost does not affect the performance of Switch 2 games, which already run at the built-in display’s native 1080p resolution in handheld mode. It also likely won’t affect Switch software that has been patched for the Switch 2, whether through a free developer update or a paid Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade.