With the release of Tears of the Kingdom in 2023, Breath of the Wild has largely faded from the active update cycle. Version 1.6.0 remains the final official patch—a quiet, almost invisible end to a legendary game’s support.
Yet, its legacy is ironic: A patch that removed a beloved glitch is now the foundation for the game’s thriving modding scene. Speedrunners who once cursed 1.6.0 now archive it as a milestone. Casual players will never know what they “missed,” but veterans will always remember the days of Apparatus-launching across Hyrule Field.
In the end, 1.6.0 teaches us something about game preservation and player freedom. Nintendo had every right to patch their game, but communities will always find ways to play the version they love most.
If you emulate on Cemu, you can right-click the game, go to "Game Profile," and disable updates to roll back to 1.5.0. However, for the most accurate "vanilla" experience, Cemu supports 1.6.0 natively.
The most impactful change for collectors was the removal of an exploit involving the Super Smash Bros. series Amiibo (specifically Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf). Previously, scanning an Amiibo, reloading a save, and scanning again allowed players to bypass the daily limit. Version 1.6.0 hardened the Amiibo cache memory, making it much harder to "time travel" farm for the Twilight Bow or Epona without fully closing the game.
The Zelda: Breath of the Wild 1.6.0 update was never going to be headline news. It added no new story, no new armor, and no new land to explore. Instead, it did something more subtle but equally important: it acted as a bridge. It bridged the game to the Labo VR experiment, bridged the code to a state of lasting stability, and marked the transition from active support to fond memory. zelda botw 1.6.0 update
In the end, the 1.6.0 update was Nintendo’s quiet way of saying, "We are done here." And for a game that offered over 100 hours of exploration, that final note of finality was not a sad ending, but a respectful bow. It left Hyrule standing exactly as it should be—polished, stable, and ready to be revisited for generations to come.
The 1.6.0 update for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released on April 25, 2019, specifically for the Nintendo Switch version. While the official patch notes were brief, the update introduced two major changes that significantly impacted gameplay. Key Features of Version 1.6.0
Nintendo Labo VR Support: Players can now experience the entire game (excluding pre-rendered cutscenes) in VR using the Toy-Con VR Goggles from the Nintendo Labo VR Kit.
Significantly Faster Load Times: Although not explicitly detailed in Nintendo's notes, technical analysis revealed that this update uses a "boost mode" that increases the CPU clock speed during loading screens.
Fast travel times were cut nearly in half in some instances (e.g., from 26 seconds down to 14 seconds). Loading into shrines and the overworld is notably quicker. With the release of Tears of the Kingdom
General Fixes: Minor bug fixes were included to improve the overall gameplay experience. How to Enable VR Mode
If you have the VR Kit, you can toggle this feature by going to the System menu, selecting Options, and finding the VR Goggles setting. You can use this with your existing save data at any time.
Watch this technical comparison to see exactly how much the 1.6.0 update improves the game's loading performance:
It is worth noting that the previous major update (Ver. 1.5.0) added the support for the "Zelda & Loftwing" Amiibo (released alongside Skyward Sword HD). Version 1.6.0 did not introduce new Amiibo functionality but rather smoothed out backend licensing verification.
The speedrunning community faced a tough choice. Do they stay on 1.5.0 to keep using Apparatus Storage, or update for future-proofing and leaderboard standardization? If you emulate on Cemu, you can right-click
Platforms like Speedrun.com eventually ruled that 1.6.0 was the standard for “current patch” leaderboards, while separate legacy boards exist for pre-1.6.0 patches.
The question depends entirely on your playstyle and goals.
To give you perspective, here’s how 1.6.0 stacks against earlier patches:
| Version | Release Date | Key Features / Changes | |---------|--------------|------------------------| | 1.0.0 | March 2017 | Launch version – full of glitches (infinite arrows, early Master Sword) | | 1.1.0 | March 2017 | Improved frame rate, added loading screen tips, removed arrow farming | | 1.2.0 | May 2017 | Added “Sort” function to inventory, improved stability | | 1.3.0 | June 2017 | Master Trials DLC support, added Hero’s Path, Travel Medallion | | 1.5.0 | March 2019 | Champions’ Ballad DLC, more voice language options, general fixes | | 1.6.0 | Nov 2019 | Removed Apparatus Storage, minor stability fixes |
As you can see, 1.6.0 is the smallest functional update since 1.1.0.