How does the battery life compare to the Switch?
Okay, here's the big question. We've compared the Switch 2 hardware to all variations of the original Nintendo Switch below.
We've taken the Switch 2 specs from the official Nintendo website, and the Switch specs from our own Switch OLED battery comparison guide.
|
Nintendo Switch 2 |
Nintendo Switch (standard - launch model and 2019 revision) |
Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) |
Nintendo Switch Lite |
| Battery life |
Model number: TBC
Approx. 2 to 6.5 hours
*Please note: this time is an estimate. The battery life will depend on the games you play and usage conditions. |
Model number: HAC-001
(product serial number starts with “XAW”)
Approx. 2.5 to 6.5 hours
*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 3 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Model number: HAC-001(-01) - Available starting in mid-August 2019
(product serial number starts with “XKW”)
Approximately 4.5 - 9 hours
*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. |
Model number: HEG-001
Approximately 4.5 - 9 hours
*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. |
Model number: HDH-001
Approx. 3.0 to 7.0 hours
*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 4 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. |
How does the battery life compare to the Steam Deck?
As the most popular PC gaming handheld on the market right now, the Steam Deck is probably the closest competitor to the Switch 2.
Well, the Steam Deck LCD (that's the standard model) can last anywhere between 2 - 9 hours. This is highly variable, however, even more so than the Switch 2, as the range of games on the system is much wider.
For the Steam Deck OLED, Valve claims that the battery is around 30% to 50% better and will hold charge for around 3 - 12 hours. Both, on average, beat out the Switch 2, but only just.
Like with the Switch 2, you're going to get more bang for your buck if you're playing your Steam Deck offline, or on lower capped framerates, or playing something like Stardew Valley compared to something like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. They're fairly similar, then, just that Steam Deck seems to hold charge for longer, on average, if you tone everything down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still looking for answers on the Switch 2 battery? We've got some of the most commonly asked questions here:
How long does the Switch 2 take to charge?
Nintendo approximates that your Switch 2 will be fully charged in around 3 hours, which falls in line with our experience. That's assuming you use the official power cable to charge up the console, or stick it back in the dock to refuel, and that the console is in sleep mode.
Like with all power-related things, this will vary if you opt to use a different charger, or you charge it while playing the console at the same time. of course, we'll test this once the console itself is out.
Is the battery better than the Nintendo Switch?
In terms of battery size, yes, the Switch 2 has a better battery than the Switch. It's a newer console, so that makes sense!
The Switch 2 packs a 5220 mAh lithium ion battery, compared to the Switch and OLED's 4310 mAh. Basically, that means the battery is bigger and more powerful.
Looking at battery life, however, both the Switch 1 standard model and OLED are better, on average, than the Switch 2 — only barely in the OG's case, though. That might be a little disappointing, but it's worth stressing that the Switch 2 appears to be a much more powerful system. So even with a better battery, it'll drain a little quicker.
How do you extend the Switch 2's battery life?
There are several ways to reduce the drain on your Switch 2 juice while you're out and about.
Namely, turning down your screen brightness, playing offline or in airplane mode, turning off HDR, and tweaking and reducing framerates and resolution where applicable (we imagine more games on Switch 2 will let you do this). These should all help make your Switch 2's battery drain a little slower, if that's something you're worried about.
Like many modern electronic devices, Switch 2 also has an option to stop charging the battery past 90%. This is a precaution designed to prolong battery life in the long run (although the tooltip says that in some cases the system may charge to 100% just to make sure the % readout is accurate.
My battery indicator isn't displaying correctly - help!
Nintendo has published a couple of guides for people running into battery life problems with Switch 2, specifically for if the percentage shown doesn't match the actual juice in the battery.
Check them out below for potential fixes if you have that problem:
