The Switch 2 GameCube App Just Got a New Update

The GameCube app for Nintendo Switch 2 just received an update that improved the control stick range on games available on the service, with the new range acting much closer to how it was on the original GameCube console. However, one major problem with the GameCube app still remains an issue for Switch 2 players to contend with.

Originally released in November 2001, the Nintendo GameCube competed against the PS2 and the original Xbox as part of the sixth generation of home video game consoles. The GameCube featured a controller that placed the face buttons in unique positions, and was Nintendo’s first console to use optical discs as its main game format. Over two decades after its arrival, the GameCube returned as a Nintendo Classics app in June 2025, alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 console. An active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription and a Switch 2 are required to use the GameCube app.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is Now Way Better on Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2’s latest update improves several older games when played on its system, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the biggest winner.

The GameCube App on Switch 2 Crosses One Issue Off The List

Alongside the arrival of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness on the GameCube app, Switch 2 users will notice one key improvement has been made. According to a YouTube video by Madao Joestar, as of GameCube app version 1.6.0, the control stick range when playing F-Zero GX was changed to be closer to how it was on the original GameCube system. In version 1.5.0, all GameCube titles had controls that felt like the player was pushing the control stick fully, even when pushed part way, creating a dead zone that made titles like F-Zero GX more difficult to manage. As of version 1.6.0, the stick range has been improved, according to Madao Joestar’s findings in F-Zero GX‘s controller calibration screen. Madao Joestar stated in the video description, “The stick range has been improved and is now much closer to how it is on a real GameCube.”

The tests also used a GameCube controller that Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can purchase on the My Nintendo Store, and Madao Joestar said they used a wired connection to minimize any problems. In the YouTube comments of Madao Joestar’s video, other users reported that the control stick range fix for F-Zero GX did not apply to titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. One user also claimed that playing F-Zero GX with the Switch 2 Pro Controller still had control stick issues, making the GameCube controller the preferred method to play the hit Nintendo racing game. Additionally, a noticeable input lag issue with the GameCube app still remains unaddressed. The GameCube app has an input delay of five to six frames per second, which has been a recurring problem since the app first launched.

The GameCube App Now Uses HDR To Improve The CRT Filter

Apparently the GameCube app has an updated CRT shader that uses HDR. I did notice on the last Virtual Boy update that there was some kind of HDR support going on, I did not mention about an updated CRT shader file on it because I kind of dismissed it (it’s leftovers from other apps)
— Yakumono (@luigiblood.bsky.social) 2026-03-18T11:29:15.639Z

The control stick range was not the only marked improvement that came with the GameCube app’s 1.6.0 update. According to LuigiBlood on Bluesky, the GameCube’s CRT shader was updated to now use the Switch 2’s high dynamic range option on supported displays. The HDR change removes a problem that the GameCube app’s CRT filter had, which caused screen darkening to occur as a result of the filter’s scanlines. By turning on HDR in the Switch 2 system settings, the filter should now give the display a simulated CRT glow. However, users should check the HDR settings on both the Switch 2 and the display itself, and see what works best for their setup.

A day before the GameCube app update, a Nintendo Switch 2 system update gave users a new Handheld Boost Mode option. With Handheld Boost Mode, original Switch games will now display in 1080p rather than 720p in Handheld Mode when played on a Switch 2 console. Although the new Switch 2 setting is not turned on by default, users have reported a difference in quality when Handheld Boost Mode is active. Given that Nintendo has addressed F-Zero GX‘s control stick problem when using a GameCube controller, it is clear that the company is not done with making improvements to the Nintendo Classics app lineup.