With a swathe of new features and upgrades, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a much more powerful piece of kit compared to its predecessor. As such, we're sure many of you have questions about just how long the thing will run in handheld.
With Mouse Mode, higher framerates, and generally better tech inside the Switch 2, we'll be covering everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2's battery, including how long it lasts and how it compares to other consoles such as the OG Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck.
How long does Nintendo Switch 2 battery hold charge?
Nintendo confirmed that the Switch 2's battery will last anywhere between 2 - 6.5 hours of playtime. That's a pretty wide net, but there are lots of things to consider here.
The type of game being played (Tears of the Kingdom will use more battery than say, Deltarune), Game Chat being used — with or without camera — Mouse Mode in tabletop mode, etc. Battery life will be much more variable on Switch 2 compared to Switch 1 at the very least.
How does the battery life compare to the Switch?
Okay, here's the big question. We've got comparisons of the Switch 2 hardware compared 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. 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.
We'll be testing this when the console is officially in our hands.
How do you extend the Switch 2's battery life?
There's lots of different ways, and while we haven't been able to test any of these yet (the console isn't out yet, after all), we imagine similar methods used for the Switch 1 will work here.
Namely, turning down your screen brightness, playing offline or in airplane mode, 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.
Hopefully, this guide has been helpful. If you're after more Nintendo Switch 2 advice, check out our Switch 2 hub for more useful info on the new Nintendo console.
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