Apart from the gaming experience, the battery is the key for a handheld console. We all hate a phone that works well but performs pretty badly when it comes to battery life.
The same goes for a Handheld console. Nintendo Switch is a pretty slick handheld console to be honest, and many people love it because of lightweight, that is. But puts a bigger question on how the battery life will be.
Does Switch battery degrade over time?
Nintendo Switch has been the most selling console in this lockdown period. With the scarcity of the new-gen consoles, the switch is selling more than ever. But many people are wondering if the battery life is good or not. Because if the battery life is bad, then it defeats the whole portability feature.
In this guideline, I will briefly talk about how long a Nintendo switch lasts on a single charge also how you can make the most out of your battery life.
So put on your reading glasses to get your desired answers.
Also, check out our separate post on can a Nintendo Switch be Blacklisted.
Is it okay to charge the Switch overnight?
Even if you leave your Nintendo Switch Lite plugged in all night, it will do no harm. This is due to the Nintendo Switch’s built-in security features. As a result, the battery won’t be damaged by an overcharge.
Overcharging is a problem that many people worry about too much. However, we’ve reached a stage where our mobile phones and other devices are no longer capable of doing this. It’s safe to assume that your Switch will work well, but if your charger isn’t strong enough, it will waste power rather than gain it overnight.
Although it’s hardly a catastrophe, waking up to a dead console might be inconvenient. Make sure that the non-dock chargers you want to use with it are capable of rapid and efficient charging, and utilize the dock whenever feasible.
The dock is a good place to leave it. Since it was made for docking, I don’t have to worry about it a lot of the time. Using the official dock and charger is the best way to go. While playing in handheld mode, you can charge your switch with the official charger.
But, this may cause the battery to degrade quickly if you keep it in there for days on end without using it, so proceed with caution if you don’t use it often; however, if you do, it’s alright.
You’re free to keep it on the dock for as long as you want. Only a Nintendo-licensed dock will do. Leaving it on a dock that isn’t authorized might cause the gadget to be bricked overnight.
When using a random USB cable and AC adapter, I’d also be cautious. Again, the gadget might be bricked overnight if the adapter/cable does not give the right power input.
Also check our exclusive tutorial on Nintendo Switch controller not charging.
While playing in tabletop mode, you may utilize the official charging dock. In order to use the tabletop dock, you must have a Switch Lite, as well as a standard Switch. In sleep mode, overnight charging is likely to have minimal effect on the battery.
Now you might ask how long it takes to charge the Nintendo switch.
The switch takes approximately 1.5 hours to charge 50% of the battery. So it eventually takes around 3 hours to charge the full console. You will see a similar result if you use the official charger or the dock; it can vary if you use the third-party ones.
How Long Do Nintendo Switch Charge Last?
Nintendo Switch battery life in handheld mode varies depending on your console model and what you’re playing. Nintendo Switch battery life may be expected to last between 4 and 7 hours when playing light games.
You may need to recharge your console every 2.5 to 4 hours when playing a GPU intensive games. Doom Eternal is a good illustration of this. You’ll need to recharge your battery after around 2.5-3 hours of playtime. If you’re playing games like Animal Crossing or Just Dance, on the other hand, expect the battery to last 3 to 4 hours.
However, if you have an older model of switch, it will last around 2-3 hours max. That is why Nintendo release v2 of the standard switch with better battery life. Nintendo officially released a patch note where they have stated how long a different switch model can last. Let’s take a look at that.
Have some time to spare? Check out our latest post on how to fix Nintendo Switch error code 2137-8056.
When the Nintendo Switch is turned off or in sleep mode, it takes around three hours to completely recharge. If the console is in use, the charging time will be longer. The console’s battery life varies from model to model and from a software application to software function after it is completely charged. While in Sleep Mode, the battery life of your Nintendo Switch will be reduced by 10-15 percent. The battery should not be depleted by more than 15% in 24 hours if no games or updates are being executed.
There are 2.5 to 6.5 hours of battery life for Nintendo Switch models HAC-001 (product serial number starts with “XAW”). 4.5 to 9 hours of battery life is typical for the Nintendo Switch model HAC-001(-01) (product serial number starts with “XKW”) (HAC-001(-01).
The battery life of the Nintendo Switch Lite HDH-001 model ranges from 3 to 7 hours. The battery life for the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, model number: HEG-001 (product serial number starts with “XTW”), is around 4.5 to 9 hours.
This step also helps in fixing a water damaged Nintendo Switch.
Many people ask Why is Switch battery life so bad?
It is not bad. To be honest, I mean, 5 hours of gameplay when you are on the run is pretty impressive. But it can be less for some people, but you have to understand something that the biggest form factor is portability when it comes to a handheld console. Having a huge battery might increase the weight, and it might be troublesome for some people.
Hence more people like switch lite even though it has 10% less battery than the standard switch. The main reason would be how lightweight that is. It feels better on hand and is very comfortable. On the other hand, a bigger battery might generate more heat than usual, which will be a big problem for cooling, which is a common scenario in mobile gaming. The mobile phone comes with a bigger battery and has awful cooling, and when you are playing for 30 mins or so, you will feel the burn. That is why mobile gaming is still making its way into mainstream gaming.
Check out the easiest way to fix Nintendo Switch not reading SD card.
But if you want a bigger battery on your switch, you can always get the new Nintendo to switch OLED version. It has a bigger screen and a brighter screen because the screen being Oled also comes with a bigger battery. Even in hardware demanding games, it can last for 7 hours. I have played the GTA trilogy, Definitive edition on the switch olden, and I got like 7 hours or so gameplay time, which is amazing for a handheld console.
Is it Better to Turn Off Switch or Sleep Mode?
Your Nintendo Switch’s battery life will be cut in half to a third if you use it in Sleep Mode. If no games or updates are running, the battery should not be drained more than 15% in 24 hours.
If your put your fully charged Nintendo switch in sleep mode and leave it overnight, and by the time you wake up, assuming you had 8 hours of sleep, you will have 70% of battery left. That is 30% of battery wastage for no good reason.
It doesn’t make sense to put your Nintendo in sleep mode if you are not going to use it for a long time. However, if you are wide awake and going to use the Nintendo every hour, it is better to put it in sleep mode rather than turning it off and on every time. Also, if you are downloading games, you can put it in sleep mode. But if you are not going to use it to play games or download games, it is better to switch it off entirely. Turning it off will save a good amount of battery.
Final Thoughts
Many people have Nintendo Switch as the go-to handheld console because of how good of a value that console offers.
I hope with this guideline; you get all your answers regarding the battery life of a switch.
And if you have any more queries, you can always reach out to us.
