There was a time that all our consoles had to be hooked up to wall sockets. If not, it limited us to little screens and had to keep replacing tiny cartridges to change the game.
Thankfully, these days, gaming has gone mobile. While there are tablets and mobile phones, having a dedicated gaming console like the Nintendo Switch makes all the difference. There are almost an infinite number of games at your disposal, and playing with another person is as easy as pulling out the Joy-Cons.
However, there’s one experience that all Nintendo Switch gamers universally dread—running out of battery. Here's how to keep juice in your Switch for longer.
The Nintendo Switch Battery Life
Depending on the battery model, the expected battery life of a Nintendo Switch varies greatly. According to Nintendo, the original Switch with battery model HAC-001 has a battery life of approximately 2.5 to 6.5 hours. You can tell if your Switch has this model if your product serial number starts with XAW.
On the other hand, newer Nintendo Switch devices with the battery model number HAC-001(-01) has an expected battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours. To determine if your Switch is one of these high-capacity battery models, check if your product serial number beings with XKW. The Nintendo Switch Lite with battery model number HDH-001 can last around 3 to 7 hours.
The Nintendo Switch removable Joy-Cons can last for up 20 hours for one full charge. It takes approximately three and a half hours for a Joy-Con to reach full charge. To charge the Joy-Con connected, it needs to be connected to an AC adapter or a Switch in Sleep mode.
From a serious gamer's perspective, these numbers may not feel like enough. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways for Switch gamers to make the batteries last longer.
Tips to Make Your Switch Battery Last Longer
Here are some tips to get the best out of your gaming and keep your battery working longer.
Disable HD Rumble
The Switch's controller vibration improves the experience of many games. However, there are some games where it doesn’t do much except for the waste battery. To disable the HD Rumble on Joy-Cons, go to your HOME Menu and select System Settings. Next, scroll through the menu and select Controllers and Sensors > Controller Vibration.
Lower Display Brightness
Like most devices with screens, brightness tremendously affects battery life. To keep your Switch running longer, adjust your screen brightness by going to your HOME Menu. Then, select System Settings > Brightness. From there, you can manually adjust the slider to a reasonable level of brightness that you can enjoy gaming on.
Airplane Mode
When you don’t need to be online to play, putting your Switch on Airplane Mode can significantly increase your playtime. Searching and connecting to Wi-Fi uses a lot of energy. So, if you want to turn it off, go to your System Settings > Airplane Mode.
Shorten Sleep Mode
Nintendo recommends you leave your device in Sleep Mode instead of turning it off completely to reduce battery drain. On default, the Nintendo Switch reverts to auto-sleep mode after an hour in TV mode or ten minutes in handheld. To shorten this, you can go to System Settings > Sleep Mode.
Keep Batteries Charged
A 2017 ZDNet Switch teardown revealed a 4310mAh lithium-ion battery under the hood. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries run continuously on standby, so you don't have to worry about leaving your Switch docked to the TV.
However, Li-ion batteries do quickly deteriorate when left uncharged for too long. With this, we know it is necessary to keep your Switch charged at all times. If not, its Li-ion battery may fail, and you may no longer be able to turn it on.
Keep Your Switch Battery Healthy
Making your Switch battery last longer is part settings and part good battery health practices. Like any type of battery, all Switch batteries will have a definite lifespan.
However, battery life can also shorten or elongate based on how you use and take care of it. With these tips, you can have not just more hours with your Switch. Hopefully, you can also add years.
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