Previously, all our consoles were plugged into wall sockets. The Nintendo Switch is one of the latest dedicated gaming consoles, but tablets, phones, and phones have made gaming mobile.
It’s easy to play with another person with the Joy-Cons, and you can choose from an almost endless selection of games. Running out of battery is one experience every Nintendo Switch player dreads. Make sure your Switch lasts a long time with these tips.
Battery Life on the Switch
Nintendo Switch battery life depends on what type of Switch you have and what battery model you have. In Nintendo’s own words, a standard Nintendo Switch with the HAC-001 battery lasts 2.5 to 6.5 hours. XAW starts in your product serial number, at the base of your Switch, if it’s this model.
As for the Joy-Cons, Nintendo says your Switch Joy-Cons should last up to 20 hours on one charge, but they take 3 1/2 hours to charge while docked. If you’re a serious gamer, you may not find these numbers to be enough to decide which console is best: the original Switch, Switch Lite, or Switch OLED. Regardless of model, there’s plenty you can do to extend Nintendo Switch’s life.
Battery Tips for Switches
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your Nintendo Switch battery life if you want it to last longer:
1. Turn off HD Rumble
Although vibration improves the experience of many Switch games, it’s not essential and is a great way to save battery life. If you want to help your Nintendo Switch battery last longer, disable HD Rumble:
- Choose System Settings from the Home screen.
- Click on Controllers and Sensors to find them.
- Make sure the vibration on the controller is off.
When you turn off Controller Vibration, your Switch won’t use HD Rumble regardless of what game you play, saving you battery life.
2. Switch up the brightness on your Nintendo Switch
Battery life is hugely affected by brightness on handheld gaming devices. Nintendo Switch battery life can be extended by adjusting brightness settings. Follow these steps to keep your Nintendo Switch running longer:
- Go to System Settings on your Nintendo Switch.
- Screen Brightness options should be highlighted.
- Manually lower the brightness slider once Automatic Brightness is turned off.
The Nintendo Switch battery will last longer if you manually adjust the brightness level to a lower but still visible level.
3. Airplane mode on the Nintendo Switch
When you don’t need to be online, putting your Switch in Airplane Mode can help you play longer. To save battery life, turn off Wi-Fi search and connection to save energy:
- Go to System Settings on your Switch.
- Make sure you’re in Airplane Mode or Flight Mode.
- Turn on Airplane Mode / Flight Mode.
By not searching for and connecting to internet sources and Wi-Fi, your Switch won’t waste power on the feature as you play.
4. Make Nintendo Switch’s sleep mode shorter
Your Nintendo Switch can save battery life by going into Sleep Mode. Switches that take a long time to get into sleep mode can waste battery life. After an hour of inactivity or 10 minutes in handheld mode, Nintendo Switch defaults to Auto-Sleep Mode if connected to a TV. Here’s how you can change it and save battery life:
- Go to System Settings on your Nintendo Switch.
- You’ll find Sleep Mode in the options.
- Shorten the Auto-Sleep settings for the console and TV screens.
By setting time intervals for Auto-Sleep, you make sure your Switch preserves battery life after a shorter period of time, triggering Auto-Sleep automatically.
How to Take Care of Your Nintendo Switch Battery
You’ve got to take care of your Switch to make its battery last longer. Nevertheless, every Switch battery has a life expectancy. Depending on how you use and care for it, the battery can also last longer or shorter. Here’s how to get more hours with your Switch, and maybe even more years.
