How To Fix Nintendo Switch Fast Battery Drain Issue
The Nintendo Switch is one of the hottest gaming consoles today but many users find that it has a fast battery drain issue. For many, 2 or 3 hours of gaming is not enough but sadly, this is usually what the Nintendo Switch can provide most of the time. If you are wondering how to extend the battery life of your console after a full charge, you’ve come to the right blog.
Check out the possible solutions that you can try in this guide to keep your gaming time longer.
How long does Nintendo Switch battery last?
As far as battery endurance on the Nintendo Switch is concerned, it’s a weakness for this console. Although it’s been marketed as able to continue working for up to 6 hours after a full charge, this is far from the truth. Our own brand new console was only able to go for about over two hours after playing Nintendo’s own Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If you are still planning on buying a Switch, we say don’t get your hopes too high when it comes to its battery life. While this is a major setback, a full two-hour game play though is still fun and can be worth every dollar.
The Nintendo Switch uses a Lithium-based battery so you can expect that the more you use it, the shorter the battery life gets. Nintendo says that battery endurance can last shorter to about 80% after 800 charge cycles. This may sound bad but it’s how the current Lithium-ion batteries, which is also used in smartphones, work at this time. This is not a defect and not a manufacturing issue.
In general, all Nintendo Switch models can take about 3 hours to fully charge. This happens when the console is powered down or turned off. If you’re using it while it’s charging, it may take longer.
Calibrate Nintendo Switch battery
If your Nintendo Switch battery indicator is showing an almost empty level but allows you to continue playing longer, you may have an inaccurate battery indicator problem. This means that the indicator is not accurately tracking the true power level in the system. This is a known bug that was already fixed by Nintendo before. To fix it, you’ll want to make sure that the software is running the latest version first. Be sure to check for updates manually if your console does not indicate new software version by doing the following steps:
- Make sure that your Nintendo Switch is connected to the internet.
- Go to the Home Menu.
- Select System Settings.
- Select System.
- Select System Update.
- Wait for a few moments to allow the system to check for new software version.
- If an update is available, the download process will begin automatically.
Once you’ve updated the software, you can then begin re-calibrating the battery to fix the battery indicator problem. To do that, you’ll need to drain the battery to 0%, use the console normally until the battery is drained to 0 again. Do this cycle six times to complete the calibration process. Over time, the battery indicator will be able to function normally again.
Workarounds for Nintendo Switch battery drain issue
If you continue to encounter battery drain issue on your Nintendo Switch after updating the software or calibrating the battery, there are a number of remedies that you can try.
Get a second AC adapter.
If you want to extend the usual battery life of your console, you can invest in a second AC adapter so you can leave the dock charging all the time while charging the console directly when playing.
Buy more powerful third party charging cases.
Although Nintendo’s own official chargers, like the charging stand cradle and standard dock, are fine, there are many third party charging cases for your console that can perform better. Try to expand your options by checking for the best Nintendo Switch chargers online. Products vary by price, performance, reliability, and even the power cord length but we’re pretty sure you can find one that’s ideal for you.Many Switch users love the SwitchCharge, a crowd-funded charger for this console, so you can do some research about it and see if it’s perfect for your needs.
Use a power bank or external battery pack.
If you use your Switch console on the move, we highly recommend that you consider getting a power bank or an external battery pack. Just make sure to buy a battery pack with a design output of at least 18 watts. Anything lower than than may not charge your console fast enough for it to be of use.
Suggested readings:
- How To Fix Nintendo Switch Game Card Not Working
- Easy Steps To Connect A Nintendo Switch To A TV
- How To Fix TikTok Crashing Issue On Android
- How To Fix Nintendo Switch Wifi Issues | can’t connect, find network
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