Perhaps the most significant physical manifestation of the v1.6.0 update was the release of "Ver. 2" retail game cartridges. In the Nintendo Switch ecosystem, game cartridges are read-only media. Early adopters of BotW possessed "Ver. 1" cartridges, which required a substantial download to reach the current software version.
With the rollout of v1.6.0, Nintendo began manufacturing new physical cartridges with the update pre-installed. For collectors and preservationists, the Ver. 2 cartridge represents the "complete" offline experience (minus DLC). The v1.6.0 update is uniquely identified by the presence of the "Channel" feature on the main menu, a distinction that separates Ver. 2 cartridges from their predecessors.
Zelda BOTW 1.6.0 Update — Patch Notes, Fixes, and What This Means for Players
If you are a competitive speedrunner, do not update.
The speedrunning community officially splits into two categories:
The 1.6.0 update is considered the "Purist" patch. It removes the ability to clip through the Trial of the Sword walls and fixes the infinite spirit orb duplication. If you want to 100% the game legitimately, 1.6.0 is perfect. If you want to break the game, stay on 1.5.0.
Unlike minor patches, 1.6.0 had three distinct layers of changes: visible, technical, and security.
Perhaps the most significant physical manifestation of the v1.6.0 update was the release of "Ver. 2" retail game cartridges. In the Nintendo Switch ecosystem, game cartridges are read-only media. Early adopters of BotW possessed "Ver. 1" cartridges, which required a substantial download to reach the current software version.
With the rollout of v1.6.0, Nintendo began manufacturing new physical cartridges with the update pre-installed. For collectors and preservationists, the Ver. 2 cartridge represents the "complete" offline experience (minus DLC). The v1.6.0 update is uniquely identified by the presence of the "Channel" feature on the main menu, a distinction that separates Ver. 2 cartridges from their predecessors.
Zelda BOTW 1.6.0 Update — Patch Notes, Fixes, and What This Means for Players
If you are a competitive speedrunner, do not update.
The speedrunning community officially splits into two categories:
The 1.6.0 update is considered the "Purist" patch. It removes the ability to clip through the Trial of the Sword walls and fixes the infinite spirit orb duplication. If you want to 100% the game legitimately, 1.6.0 is perfect. If you want to break the game, stay on 1.5.0.
Unlike minor patches, 1.6.0 had three distinct layers of changes: visible, technical, and security.