The most recent update to Nintendo Switch Online has brought several significant enhancements to its Game Boy Advance catalog, most notably introducing support for customizable button configurations. This development is part of Nintendo's ongoing effort to refine its classic game libraries, a process that began in the summer of 2025.

Game Boy Advance titles have been accessible through Nintendo Switch Online since February 2023. Over the subsequent years, Nintendo has consistently expanded this subscription service with additional GBA games, building a substantial retro gaming collection for its subscribers.

The service update that arrived on September 3rd, which also added the N64 classic Forsaken 64 to Nintendo Switch Online, included no new GBA games for Western markets. However, the latest version of the NSO GBA application significantly improved existing offerings through the addition of button remapping functionality. The app also received subtle visual updates, with the "Switch Online" logo during startup being replaced by a "Nintendo Classics" graphic, as reported by Nintendo Everything. This modification aligns with the application's official designation: Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Classics.

The early September 2025 update also introduced support for 1080p resolution when playing in handheld mode. This enhancement specifically benefits users of Nintendo's newest console, leveraging the Switch 2's Full HD display capabilities. Meanwhile, the button remapping feature remains accessible on the original Switch model, despite its 720p screen limitations. Both console variants gained access to a hidden startup screen, activated by pressing and holding the left analog stick in any direction immediately after launching the application. This action triggers the original GBA boot sequence accompanied by the distinctive Super Mario Advance coin collection sound effect. The GameCube Classics application already includes a comparable retro-inspired Easter egg feature.

Beyond mere convenience improvements, the 1080p handheld mode optimizes visual scaling on the Switch 2's display, while button remapping brings the GBA catalog's functionality in line with other Classics applications available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Collectively, these modifications indicate that Nintendo is establishing a new standard feature set for its retro gaming libraries.

The updated GBA application carries version number 3.0.0 and should download automatically when the console connects to the internet. In Japan, this update coincided with the addition of Magical Vacation to the NSO GBA library. This 2001 role-playing game from Brownie Brown (now known as 1-Up Studio) supports both local and online multiplayer through Nintendo Switch Online. While region-exclusive titles have been part of NSO since its 2018 launch, there remains possibility that this new version of Magical Vacation might eventually see Western release.