Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Switch): all the updates (latest: Ver. 1.1.0)

Lite_Agent 21 January 2026 Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Retro Studios

On this page, you will find all there is to know about the various updates for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on Nintendo Switch (originally released in January 2025 in North America, Europe, and Japan)!

Click here for more Software updates!

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD – Ver. 1.1.0

Release date: January 20th/21st 2026
Patch notes:

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch:

You can now play as Dixie Kong. Her action when jumping is different from when jumping with Diddy Kong.
- When playing alone, as you grab a barrel, you can switch between either Diddy Kong or Dixie Kong as the character that appears.
- When playing with two people, P2 can switch between Diddy Kong or Dixie Kong by pressing the stick (the L Stick in the case of playing with both Joy-Con 2 or Joy-Con controllers) on the world map.
A Turbo Attack mode where you can race through the stage at high speed has been added.
- If you clear the course once, it will appear at the same time as the Time Attack mode.
- If you can clear it within the time limit, you will acquire a turbo medal.
Now supports Brazilian Portuguese language.
- You can switch the language in the “Language” setting in the “System” menu of “System Settings.”
Several other issues have been addressed and image quality enhancements have been made to improve the gameplay experience.

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

Now supports “GameShare (Local User).”
- You can select “GameShare (Local User)” from “2 Players” on the game start screen or the menu screen of the world map.
Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
The loading time is now shorter.

Additional notes: none
Source: Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD – Ver. 1.0.0

Release date: January 9th 2024 (North America, Europe, Japan)
Patch notes:

No patch notes available.

Additional notes: this is the base version of the game.
Source: game

How to download updates for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for the Nintendo Switch?

To download the updates for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, you have three options:

let the console do its thing if you have automatic downloads activated, and didn’t completely turn it off

If not…

try to launch the game from the Home Menu while being connected to the internet. You should get a prompt when doing so: simply follow the instructions on screen;

select the game > press either + or – to go to the Options page > select Software update > select Via the Internet.

To check that you have the latest version installed, simply select the game on the Home Menu, and press – or + to go to the Options: the version number is displayed just below the game title.