Nintendo used 1.6.0 to silently patch several popular glitches, particularly those that allowed sequence breaking in speedruns. Notable removals include:
For the average player, these changes were invisible. For the speedrunning community, 1.6.0 was a disaster. The community officially split, with most top runners staying on Version 1.5.0 for records, while casual players updated.
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.
The most infamous change in BotW 1.6.0 is the patch to the "Akh Va'quot" (Vah Medoh) Blight Cannon Skip. In previous versions, speedrunners could use a shield block reset to bypass the Windblight Ganon fight entirely, shaving minutes off the "Any%" run.
Update 1.6.0: Nintendo added an invisible collision wall and altered the boss trigger zone. You can no longer skip the boss. This forced the speedrunning community to split the leaderboard into "Version 1.5.0" and "Version 1.6.0+" categories.
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.
On Nintendo Switch:
On Wii U: You cannot. Update 1.6.0 was never released for Wii U. The last Wii U version remains 1.5.0.
Breath of the Wild version 1.6.0 is an anomaly. It is a patch without a wound, an update without a season pass, a love letter sent eight years late. It doesn’t add a new dungeon or a playable Zelda. It doesn’t fix the rain making climbing impossible (some things are sacred).
What it does is subtle and profound. It bridges two eras of Zelda. It legitimizes the Switch 2’s backward compatibility. And it reminds us that in the world of game preservation, no classic is ever truly finished.
Nintendo looked at the mountain of Breath of the Wild, a game that already sold 35 million copies, and decided to polish the peak. Whether this is kindness, marketing, or a glitch in the system, one thing is certain:
Link is waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection all over again. And this time, the silence of the plateau feels a little more stable. botw update 1.6.0
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have 900 Korok seeds to re-find. The maracas call.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) update 1.6.0, released on April 25, 2019, was much more than a simple patch. While officially marketed for Nintendo Labo VR support, it secretly delivered massive technical improvements to the Nintendo Switch. 1. The Secret Performance Boost: Faster Load Times
Though not mentioned in the official patch notes, version 1.6.0 significantly reduced loading times across the board. Technical analysis from GameXplain and players on Reddit confirmed that:
Teleporting is up to 37% faster (e.g., traveling from the Great Plateau to Kakariko Village dropped from 16 seconds to just 10 seconds). Entering Shrines is roughly 21% faster.
This was achieved by enabling "Boost Mode," which temporarily increases the Switch's CPU clock speed from 1020MHz to 1785MHz during loading screens. 2. Nintendo Labo VR Integration The primary official feature was compatibility with the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit Go to product viewer dialog for this item. .
Toggle VR Mode: Players can enable VR Goggles via the "System" options in the in-game menu.
Third-Person VR: Unlike typical VR games, this is a cinematic experience where the camera follows Link, providing a sense of depth while maintaining the standard gameplay loop. 3. Under-the-Hood Changes & Metadata
Detailed ROM comparisons from ZeldaMods reveal deeper system adjustments:
Actor Metadata: Most actors (objects and enemies) were updated to require a larger instance heap, suggesting a core code update.
New Flags: Internal flags like Ichigeki_Pedestal_Appear (referencing the One-Hit Obliterator) were added or adjusted.
Asset Tweaks: Minor changes to effect files and graphics were implemented specifically to optimize for the stereoscopic VR view. 4. Impact on Glitches
For the speedrunning and glitch community, 1.6.0 remained a "safe" update. Nintendo used 1
Popular glitches like the Bow of Light glitch and Bullet Time Bounces (BTB) remained fully functional.
Later updates (such as those rumored for a "Switch 2" edition) are the ones that began patching major movement exploits like BLSS (Bow Lift Smuggle Slide). Summary of Key Features Labo VR Support Full-game compatibility with VR goggles Loading Speed 20-40% faster loading via CPU overclocking UI Updates New menus and message layouts for VR Performance Stable framerates even with VR overhead 6.0?
The Evolution of Hyrule: A Deep Dive into Breath of the Wild Update 1.6.0
Released on April 25, 2019, the Version 1.6.0 update for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild marked a unique milestone in the game’s post-launch history. While earlier patches focused on massive DLC expansions like The Champions' Ballad, this update introduced a surprising new way to experience Link's journey: through the lens of Virtual Reality. Virtual Reality Arrives in Hyrule
The headline feature of Version 1.6.0 was full compatibility with the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. Unlike traditional VR titles built from the ground up, this update allowed players to experience the entire base game—excluding pre-rendered cutscenes—using the Toy-Con VR Goggles.
How to Enable: Players can toggle the mode via the System/Options menu under the "VR Goggles" setting.
Gameplay Impact: The VR mode provides a 360-degree view of the world, though it maintains the standard third-person camera perspective. It uses the Switch's gyro sensors to let players look around the environment while controlling Link normally.
Accessibility: This feature is available to all Switch owners who have updated their game, regardless of whether they own the Expansion Pass. Drastic Loading Time Improvements
Beyond the VR integration, Update 1.6.0 was lauded for a significant technical achievement: reduced loading times. Digital analysts and speedrunners noted that the update implemented a form of "overclocking" during load screens, allowing the Switch to pull data faster than in previous versions.
Speed Comparison: Tests showed that loading a save file or teleporting between shrines became roughly 30-40% faster compared to Version 1.5.0.
The "Fast Load" Bug: While beneficial for most, some speedrunners initially had to account for these changes as they affected timing in certain competitive categories. Technical Fixes and Polish
As is standard with Nintendo's "Various fixes to improve the gameplay experience," Version 1.6.0 addressed several niche bugs. For the average player, these changes were invisible
In the late spring of 2019, players returning to the sprawling fields of Hyrule were greeted by an unexpected notification: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
had updated to Version 1.6.0. While years had passed since the game's initial launch, this particular patch wasn't just a minor bug fix—it was a bridge between two distinct worlds of Nintendo hardware. The VR Awakening
The headline feature of the 1.6.0 update was the introduction of VR Goggles support. This allowed the entire kingdom of Hyrule to be viewed through the lens of the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. For the first time, players could step inside Link’s boots in a semi-immersive way. The implementation was unique:
Toggleable Experience: Unlike games built from the ground up for VR, 1.6.0 allowed players to switch the VR mode on or off at any time via the settings menu.
A New Perspective: When active, the camera followed Link’s movements, but players could tilt their heads to look around the environment. It didn't change the third-person gameplay mechanics, but it added a sense of scale to landmarks like Hyrule Castle and the towering Sheikah Towers. Technical Refinements
Beyond the VR novelty, Version 1.6.0 served as a "stability" patch that refined the experience for all players, even those without cardboard goggles. It addressed several minor technical issues to ensure that the massive open world ran as smoothly as possible on the aging Switch hardware. The Community Reaction
The update sparked a wave of nostalgia and experimentation. While the VR mode was critiqued for its lower resolution—a limitation of the Switch’s 720p screen when split for 3D—the "story" of the update was really about Nintendo's willingness to experiment with its masterpiece. It gave fans a reason to climb one more mountain or paraglide across one more valley, seeing the familiar world with a fresh sense of depth.
Ultimately, Version 1.6.0 was the final major beat in the game's lifecycle before the community shifted its full attention toward the whispers of a sequel, which would eventually become Tears of the Kingdom.
A new side-quest has appeared in the Korok Forest. It is not marked on the map. To trigger it, you must stand on the Deku Tree’s root with the Korok Mask equipped during a blood moon.
A Korok named Makora (Seed #901) appears. Unlike the others, Makora does not want a maracas dance. Makora whispers: “You found me. Now… hide me.” The quest tasks you with burying a “Cursed Nut” in the Lost Woods. If you complete it, you receive the Tarnished Bag: a key item that doubles your melee weapon inventory from 20 to 40 slots.
This breaks the game’s original memory limitations, suggesting Nintendo has recompiled the entire inventory engine for modern Switch hardware (or the Switch 2).
