Nintendo has quietly updated Switch and Switch 2 consoles to version 23.5.0, reintroducing eShop gifting.

Nintendo Rolls Out Firmware 23.5.0 to Switch and Switch 2 Ahead of 2026 Family Gifting Feature

Nintendo has pushed a new update to all Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, bringing firmware on both to version 23.5.0. The most important change is not a feature users can use immediately. It is the console-side preparation for a gifting system scheduled to arrive on 17 November 2026, allowing members of a Nintendo Account family group to send eligible digital purchases to one another.

Background: a narrower return to an older idea

Nintendo's upcoming Switch and Switch 2 gifting feature is limited to the Nintendo Account family group. A Nintendo Account user can set up a family group and add members, with up to 8 people allowed in total. This means the feature will not open digital gifting to friends in general, but only to members of the same family group.

That is a more restricted model than what Nintendo used on an earlier console. A previous iteration of this support existed on the Nintendo Wii. Back then, users could send WiiWare or Virtual Console games to anyone on their Wii Friend list through the Wii Shop Channel. That system reached beyond an immediate group and allowed gifting to a broader friend network. The functionality was lost in 2019, alongside the closure of the Wii Shop Channel.

The new feature therefore marks a return to console-based digital gifting, but in a family-group format rather than the wider friend-list format Nintendo once offered on the Wii.

Development: firmware 23.5.0 prepares the consoles for a later eShop change

The headline change in firmware 23.5.0 is added support and compatibility for the upcoming gifting update. Nintendo's patch notes state that the update adds support for a future feature that will allow gifting of Nintendo eShop products to a Nintendo Account family group member.

The gifting function itself will not activate with the console firmware alone. It will become available after a Nintendo eShop update scheduled for 17 November 2026. That creates a two-step rollout. The consoles are updated now to recognize and support the later service change, while the store-side feature arrives closer to the holiday period.

Nintendo has described the feature as a way for family group members to gift digital products purchased through Nintendo eShop on one device to other members of the same family group. Eligible items include games, DLC, and upgrade packs. The company has also called the feature a way to celebrate a special occasion with children.

Latest stage: what the 2026 feature will allow

Once the feature goes live, the basic flow is simple. A family group member buys an eligible digital product on their own device and then gives it to another member of the same family group. The product must be purchased through Nintendo eShop, and the recipient must be part of the sender's Nintendo Account family group.

Nintendo has set several boundaries. Some products may not be eligible for digital gifting. Supervised accounts are not able to send digital gifts. The number of digital gift purchases allowed in a given period is limited. These restrictions matter because the feature will not be a general transfer system for every item in the store, nor will it be unlimited.

The family-group limit also shapes how the feature can be used. With up to 8 total members in a group, a member can gift eligible games, DLC, or upgrade packs to another member of the same group. The holiday timing is part of Nintendo's framing: the company says the feature will arrive "just in time for the holidays."

What the update means for readers

For Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 users, firmware 23.5.0 is mainly a preparation step. The update does not instantly open a gifting button in the current store interface. It prepares the consoles for a later Nintendo eShop change. The practical impact will come in 2026, when the eShop update is expected to go live.

The feature is useful mainly inside an existing family group. Anyone who wants to use it will first need a Nintendo Account and a family group with members added. Because supervised accounts cannot send gifts, the sender will need to be a family group member that is not a supervised account. Because only eligible products can be gifted and the number of gifts is limited, users should not assume every digital purchase can be shared this way.

The change also gives readers a clearer picture of Nintendo's approach. The older Wii-era system allowed gifting to Wii Friend list contacts. The new Switch and Switch 2 system stays inside the Nintendo Account family group. That makes the feature more targeted, but less broad than the previous Wii functionality.

Accessibility changes included in the same patch

The firmware update is not only about gifting. It also adds the ability to configure accessibility settings during first-time setup. Nintendo says information on these accessibility settings can be found in Nintendo Switch 2 first-time setup.

The patch notes also list changes to Accessibility in System Settings. Portuguese (Portugal) has been added to the languages available for Text to Speech. Portuguese (Portugal) has also been added to the GameChat Convert Text to Speech languages. These updates give users in that language region more system-level accessibility options without waiting for the separate gifting feature.

Alongside these additions, Nintendo says general adjustments and fixes were made to improve the user experience.

Current stage: consoles ready, gifting waiting

As of the firmware rollout, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles can be updated to version 23.5.0, which contains the compatibility needed for the upcoming family gifting feature. The store-side functionality is still pending, with Nintendo scheduling the gifting feature for 17 November 2026.

At that point, family group members will be able to gift eligible digital games, DLC, and upgrade packs purchased through Nintendo eShop to other members of the same group. The feature will remain limited by product eligibility, account type, and a cap on gift purchases in a given period.

For now, the update's main value is preparatory: it readies the consoles for a 2026 holiday-season feature and improves accessibility settings during setup and in System Settings.