Star Fox version 1.2.0 lets up to four people play split-screen Battle Mode on one Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo Americas dates the update September 29; the UK news post is dated September 30. This is a practical look at that existing update, not an October 4 release announcement.
The change concerns Battle Mode. It is different from the GameShare campaign co-op discussed in our earlier launch coverage, and should not be described as Star Fox gaining multiplayer for the first time.
What you need on one console
Nintendo’s support history, rechecked October 21, still lists the September 29 version 1.2.0. This is an owner-service guide to that existing update, not a new patch announcement. Each split-screen player needs a controller. Joy-Con 2 and original Joy-Con controllers can also be used individually in a horizontal grip.
A split-screen group can join random online matches as a team. The update is required for Internet features, and Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for online features. Downloading the free software update requires an Internet connection; the membership requirement should not be mistaken for a stated condition of same-console local Battle.
That gives owners a specific option to plan around: gather Battle players at one console, with enough controllers, rather than equating local play with sharing a campaign across devices. GameGuideDog has not tested split-screen performance or controller behavior.
Three Battle stages, not a campaign expansion
Version 1.2.0 adds Katina, Sector X and Venom to Battle Mode, alongside new battle items. These are Battle additions, not three new campaign missions.
Nintendo’s official promotional image. Katina is one of the added Battle stages; this is not our capture or a performance test.
Nintendo also says an online lobby no longer disbands when its host leaves. The notes report fixes for occasional online-startup crashes and problems after a host connection is lost, as well as campaign restart-related crashes and freezes. Those are Nintendo’s repair claims, not reproduced reliability findings from this desk.
A useful local option, not a consensus verdict
In a September 30 Reddit account, Still-Worldliness-44 reports enjoying split-screen Battle with a seven-year-old, while describing the modes as variations on familiar themes. This is one family-play account, not proof that every household will have the same experience.
The same discussion contains different priorities: partly_cloudy3 wants ranks or win/loss records as motivation, while TsarOfTheUnderground prefers self-contained matches without progression. Those preferences do not establish current matchmaking health or long-term engagement.
For owners, the cleared change is straightforward: up to four Battle players on one console, with a controller each, plus the documented online-team option. No measured frame-rate claim or rebuy recommendation is warranted here.
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