Add Friends From Facebook & Twitter With Switch 5.0 Update
Late last night the Nintendo Switch had a system update to version 5.0.0. With it came additional functionality to add friends from your Facebook and Twitter accounts by linking them to your Nintendo Account. This should make it easier to track down people you know and play games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with them.
Also added are 24 new ARMS and Kirby icons for your users. The full list of updates are below, but it’s nice to see that Nintendo fast-tracked the Play Activity bug so that it now correctly shows the amount of time you’ve played a game.
Improvements Included in Version 5.0.0 (Distributed 03/12/2018)
Added the following system functionality
- Facebook and Twitter friends that also use Nintendo Switch can now be added through Friend Suggestions
- Friend suggestions are based on the Facebook and Twitter accounts you have linked to your Nintendo Account
- To view your friend suggestions, from the top left of the HOME Menu head to your User Page > Friend Suggestions
- You must be 13 or older to use this feature
- Select from 24 new ARMS and the Kirby series icons for your user
- To edit your user icon, head to your My Page on the top left of the Home Menu > Profile
- Digital software purchases made from a PC or smart device will start downloading sooner than previously, even if the Nintendo Switch console is in Sleep Mode
- Filter News to view only unread news or news from specific channels
- To keep the Parental Controls PIN private, the default method for PIN entry has been changed to entering using the Control Stick and buttons instead of the on-screen number pad
- When prompted to enter you Parental Controls PIN, press and hold the + Button to change between input methods
- Captured videos in the Album will be restricted by Parental Controls depending on the Restricted Software setting and Software Rating Organization
- Using the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, add specific software titles to your whitelist to exclude them from the console’s Parental Controls Restricted Software setting
- Play-Time Limit restrictions will still apply even when the software title has been whitelisted.
- Receive notification when pre-purchased software is ready to play
- Nintendo Switch Pro Controller grip colors will now display in the Controllers menu
General system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience, including:
Resolved an issue that caused Play Activity to display incorrectly in the Profile section of your User Page
Of course these tiny enhancements are great and it’s nice to see Nintendo continuously work to make the Switch better. However, there are still some major glaring issues with the Switch’s OS, the biggest probably being the inability to back up your save data. Other systems allow cloud saves or at least the ability to duplicate save data to an external source. Right now if you were to lose your Nintendo Switch or if it were to need repairs, you could very well lose all of your save data, which would be absolutely awful. Let’s hope Nintendo remedies this situation very soon!
[Source: Nintendo]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
