New Nintendo Switch update ensures you’ll never forget to spend your reward points

Nintendo has released a new Switch update, version 14.1.0, that adds notification alerts for platinum points, Nintendo’s currency for redeeming free digital rewards.  

While there’s no sign of the usual stability and performance improvements we’ve all come to expect from smaller patches, the new system update will download automatically as soon as you load up a Switch game. However, if you’d like to do this manually, head to  ‘system settings,’ then choose ‘system,’ and it’s the first option you’ll see. Once done, version 14.1.0 introduces a new menu in system settings under ‘notifications,’ titled “platinum point notification settings.” Specifically, this relates to Nintendo Switch Online missions, which arrived last February.

Similar to Xbox Rewards, Switch Online missions let subscribers complete challenges to earn My Nintendo platinum points, which can be exchanged for profile rewards. These missions rotate each month and could involve playing a particular game – right now, that’s SNES classic Super Metroid – going into an online lobby, backing up save data to the cloud, or just using the Switch Online console app. 

Subscribers can purchase character icons for their profile at 10 platinum points each, alongside backgrounds and frames for five coins apiece. April’s selection is currently based on two particular games: Splatoon 2 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The latter focuses on villagers who’ve got birthdays in April, but Splatoon’s redeemable player icons change every week, disappearing entirely on May 2.

Nintendo has previously said, “you can complete missions simply by doing things you’re probably already doing with your Nintendo Switch Online membership.” That’ll usually reward you between 20-50 points each, which can then be spent through your Switch console or online via My Nintendo. 

Platinum points shouldn’t be confused with gold points, which are automatically earned when buying games digitally or registering a physical cartridge. Those can be used to knock some pennies off your next eShop purchase.

Points = prizes

As for My Nintendo, you can use those same platinum points through the online website, offering further rewards. Alongside mobile games like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Super Mario Run, there’s a nice set of physical items (opens in new tab) too. Right now, 500 points could net you an Earthbound Beginnings (opens in new tab) notebook, Triangle Strategy (opens in new tab) pins, N64 posters (opens in new tab), and more (opens in new tab). 400 points can get you Pokémon Legends: Arceus (opens in new tab) cable holders or a The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD postcard set (opens in new tab), and plenty else.

Nintendo’s gradually added new quality-of-life features to Switch recently. Version 14.1.0  follows on from last month’s firmware update, which saw Nintendo finally add folders, now called ‘groups’, onto the Switch after five years of fan requests. Groups let you organize software, and can hold up to 200 games separately, found by scrolling to the far right on the home menu and choosing ‘All Software’. 

Furthermore, version 14.0.0 also provided a small update to Bluetooth audio support. While Nintendo introduced this feature back in February, that additional update added some welcome changes, mainly by letting you adjust console volume from your device and increasing maximum audio output. It also automatically reduces the volume when connecting your device to Switch, which our eardrums are thankful for.