If you are currently playing Breath of the Wild for the first time, download Update 1.6.0. The stability and VR support (even if niche) outweigh the loss of long-patched glitches you’ll never discover naturally. If you are a veteran returning for nostalgia, stick with your current version – the differences are negligible.
Bottom line: 1.6.0 is the final, definitive version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch. It’s not the update anyone dreamed of, but it’s the update that ensures the game remains playable, stable, and technically complete for decades to come.
Have you noticed any changes after installing BotW Update 1.6.0? Share your experience – or your favorite pre-patch glitch – in the comments below.
What changed
Example: Boss prep
When Nintendo pushed out Update Version 1.6.0 for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) in late 2019, the Zelda community held its collective breath. Was this it? Was this the long-awaited performance patch for the dreaded "Master Mode lag"? A graphical upgrade for the upcoming Switch Pro (which didn't exist yet)? Or perhaps a secret teaser for the then-upcoming Tears of the Kingdom?
The reality, as many veteran players discovered, was both more mundane and surprisingly specific. Nearly six years after its release, Update 1.6.0 remains one of the most misunderstood patches in the game's history. This article will break down exactly what changed, what broke, and why you still need this update installed today. botw update 1.6.0
On Nintendo Switch, the update will download automatically if the console is connected to the internet. To manually check:
Within four hours of the patch going live, the Breath of the Wild modding community (who, ironically, had to break their own tools to analyze it) unearthed the following.
What changed
Example tactic
The Hyrule Compendium now has a “+” tab. You can photograph Tears of the Kingdom Zonai devices. They do not exist in the BOTW world, so how do you get them? By using the Amiibo function of Tears of the Kingdom figures. Scanning a Mineru Amiibo adds a “Zonai Wing” to the compendium, with a caption: “A relic of a civilization that will rise again. Currently inert.”
This is overt cross-game pollination.