The Nintendo Switch is a blockbuster console that has sold millions of units worldwide. It is a portable console with great performance. But one concern that gamers have regarding the Switch is its battery life.
The new OLED Switch version, which came out in October 2021, has a bigger, brighter, and sharper screen. However, the battery life remains acceptable at around 4 hours of heavy usage. It is not bad, right?
For some, the battery life is not great, especially when playing demanding games such as Monster Hunter: Rise or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sooner or later, you will find yourself plugging the Switch into a charger.
The Switch also drains the battery even while not in use due to game updates in the background. The joy-con also sips a little bit of the battery.
How To Tell If Nintendo Switch Is Charging
There are multiple ways to charge a Nintendo Switch. But it only has a very simple charging indicator. Once you plug in a Switch, a battery icon with a lightning symbol will appear. This indicates that the battery is receiving power successfully.
But what if the battery icon does not show up?
The battery icon sometimes shows up a little bit later if the battery is really drained. The Switch needs a small amount of juice first in order to show the battery icon.
Is There A Charging Indicator LED Light?
The Nintendo Switch has an LED indicator that lights up. However, this LED light lets you know that there is a successful video output from the motherboard to the display. It does not mean that the Switch is charging or not.
Hopefully, the future versions of the Nintendo Switch will have a small LED charging indicator similar to some smartphones.
The same meaning applies to a docked Switch. The dock has an LED light too but it serves as a video output indication as well.
How To Charge The Nintendo Switch Properly
There are two ways to charge a Nintendo Switch. The first one is through the Nintendo Switch Dock. Drop the Switch into place and it will charge automatically.
The second method is by plugging the Nintendo Switch into the included A/C Adapter. Leave it plugged in depending on how drained it is and you are good to go.
Can You Charge The Nintendo Switch With A Phone Charger
The Nintendo Switch uses USB-C to charge and transfer data when docked. A lot of smartphones nowadays use USB-C as well so is it possible to charge both devices using the same cable?
The answer is Yes, you can charge your Nintendo Switch using your smartphone’s USB-C charger.
However, depending on the charger’s rating, it might take longer than the official Nintendo Switch charger.
If you want to charge your Switch at the same rate as the original charger, then you need a USB-C Power Delivery (PD) charger. USB-C PD chargers provide the right power requirement that the Switch needs. You may even play while charging the Switch.
Regular non-power delivery chargers will charge the Switch slowly. It is advised that you leave your Switch on stand-by if you are going through with this method.
It is highly recommended that you avoid chargers that are cheap or low-quality. The same goes for power banks. Use a USB-C PD power bank if you want to charge your Switch on the go.
How To Take Care Of Nintendo Switch Battery Life
The Nintendo Switch uses a lithium-ion battery. Over time, this battery degrades in quality and reduces the amount of energy that it can store. It will end up providing you with shorter play times in the long run.
But there are ways to take care of your Nintendo Switch battery and prolong its lifespan.
- Do charge your Nintendo Switch before it reaches 50%
Why 50%? Isn’t that too early?
Technically, yes. But this is what lithium-ion batteries love. Think of the battery that has a spring inside. At 100% it is compact and full of energy and as it drains, the spring stretches. Leaving it below 50% for long hours means that the battery is “stretched” and after a long time of it being at that state, it can no longer go back to its compressed spring state.
The ideal scenario is to charge the Switch as it reaches 60% especially if you are at home and your charger is within reach. If you’re out, then just charge it immediately once you get the chance.
- Do not leave your Nintendo Switch at 0% for a long time
As mentioned in the example earlier, the Switch battery can be imagined as a spring. If you constantly leave a spring in its stretched state, it will degrade quickly over time. It will lose its ability to coil back up to its fully compressed state. Charge your Switch as often as you can.
- Do not leave your Nintendo Switch in Extreme Temperatures
Do not place your Nintendo Switch in places where it is extremely hot or cold. The Switch is a portable console and some people would bring theirs into their cars and leave it there. But this is dangerous.
There are protective cases too that trap the heat at the back of the Switch. If you have one, remove the case before charging the Switch to prevent heat build-up.
Can You Overcharge Your Nintendo Switch?
The Nintendo Switch is designed to be used while docked even at 100%. The Switch will automatically cut off charging once it reaches its maximum capacity. This is fine for the Switch because as mentioned earlier, lithium-ion batteries love to be filled up all the time.
Wrapping Up
The Nintendo Switch is a great console that has multiple charging options. But sometimes, you can get caught up playing too much and the battery gets drained to 0%. That is totally okay because it only means you are having fun with your Switch. Just do not forget to plug it in immediately and check if it is charging properly.
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