2008 Corolla MMT gear shifting

Good day, to start with a short backstory of my question; I have a 2008 model D4D Corolla. My brother bought the car in 2021 when it only had 27,000 km, and at the start of 2025 I took ownership of it at 68,000 km and put about 93,000 km on it over 9 months. So the car, especially up to 2021, wasn't used or worn much by its first owner, an older gentleman. My question or issue with my car is that gear shifts, especially up to 3rd gear, are really heavy and shaky in a way that seriously ruins comfort and kills the driving pleasure. Some friends say the car might not have received the updates it was supposed to get early on, and that it would be fixed with a software update, but they aren't people who really know the subject. Considering the knowledge potential on this platform, I wanted to ask you. Should I go to a Toyota service for this, or is this just a tasteless transmission that has to be accepted as it is? Thanks