How to Update Minecraft on Nintendo Switch: Manual and Automatic Methods

To update Minecraft on Nintendo Switch, connect the console to the internet, highlight Minecraft on the HOME Menu, press the controller’s + or − button, and select Software Update > Via the Internet. The Switch checks for an available update and downloads it. You can also accept an update prompt when you start the game or enable automatic software updates.

Update Minecraft from the HOME Menu

Nintendo’s built-in software update menu is the most direct way to check for a Minecraft update. You do not need to open the Nintendo eShop or start the game first. Make sure the console is online; a wireless connection is enough. If Minecraft is open, return to the HOME Menu before following these steps.

1. On the HOME Menu, move the selection to the Minecraft icon. Do not press A to launch it.
2. Press the controller’s + or − button to open the software options.
3. Select Software Update, then choose Via the Internet.
4. Let the console check for an update. If one is available, follow the on-screen prompts and wait for the download and installation to finish before launching Minecraft.

Nintendo documents this same sequence for updating Switch software: select the title from HOME without starting it, open its menu with + or −, and choose the internet update option. The game may show an update prompt when launched while the console is online; accept the prompt if it appears. The prompt and the manual check use the console’s software update process.

Enable automatic Minecraft updates

If you want the Switch to download updates for installed games when it is connected to the internet, turn on automatic software updates:

1. Open System Settings from the HOME Menu.
2. Scroll to System.
3. Set Auto-Update Software to On.

This setting applies to installed software, including Minecraft. It does not mean every update will install the moment it is released: the console must be online, and an update may not yet be available for your copy. If you need to check right away, use the manual HOME Menu steps above. Nintendo’s software update instructions describe both automatic and manual updating.

If Minecraft does not find or install an update

A “no update available” result can mean the game is already current. It can also mean there is no newer Switch release available to download yet. Minecraft updates are version-specific, so avoid relying on an old version number in a guide; the number changes over time. Run the internet check again later if you are expecting a release that has just been announced.

• Check the connection. Open System Settings and confirm the Switch is connected to the internet. If the connection is unavailable or unstable, reconnect to Wi-Fi and repeat the update check.
• Restart the console. If the download appears stuck or the check fails, restart the Switch, reconnect, and try Software Update > Via the Internet again.
• Update the system software. In System Settings, open System and select System Update. Nintendo recommends restarting and retrying if a system update cannot be completed; keeping the console’s system software current can also resolve update problems.
• Check available storage. If the console reports that it cannot download the update, review the storage space available in System Settings. Make room before retrying, and take care to manage game software separately from saved data.

Nintendo’s Switch system update guide explains how to check for console updates and restart the system. For a game update, return to Minecraft’s software menu; installing a console system update is a separate task and does not replace the game update check.

Do you update Minecraft through the eShop?

For an installed copy of Minecraft, use the HOME Menu’s Software Update option. Nintendo’s official instructions do not require searching for the game in the eShop to install a software update. If the game opens with an update prompt while the Switch is online, you can accept it there instead. Once the installation finishes, start Minecraft normally.

These steps apply to the Nintendo Switch software menu. The exact update size and version depend on the release available for the game, so the console’s internet check is the reliable way to see whether your installed copy has an update waiting.