The Switch 2's battery life is shorter than the current Switch

The Switch 2 is bigger, more powerful and more expensive than the original Switch, but the tech specs for the new console reveal at least one key way it's worse: The Switch 2's battery life is shorter.

Nintendo says that battery life on the Switch 2 varies depending on the game you play, but that it estimates the console should last approximately "2 – 6.5 hours." That's notably shorter than the battery life you'll get out of a current Switch or Switch OLED, based on the company's support page. Nintendo estimates that a Switch OLED "with a serial number that starts with 'XT'" should last around "4.5 to 9 hours." Non-OLED Switch consoles "with a serial number that starts with 'XK'" are expected to last the same amount of time. Even the original Switch, which has "a serial number that starts with 'XA'," gets a minimum of 2.5 hours of battery life. Apparently, the extra power of the Switch 2 comes with a price.

Nintendo's tech specs confirm a few other notable details. The Switch 2 supports Wi-Fi 6, which should mean you'll get faster internet speeds when the console isn't docked and connected over ethernet. Based on Nintendo's guarantee that the console "supports 120 fps when 1920x1080/2560x1440 resolutions are selected," it seems like the Switch 2 won't support HDMI 2.1.

As far as controllers are concerned, Amiibo support remains, but if you have special place in your heart for the Wii-esque motion controls you could use on the original Switch, it looks like you're out of luck on the Switch 2. Neither the left or right Joy-Con 2 controllers have an IR sensor, one of the ways Nintendo tracked motion on the Wii and Switch. That doesn't mean you can't use motion controls on the Switch 2, just that Nintendo isn't using IR to make them work. (At least in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, it seems like "mouse control" fills the role motion controls used to on older games.) 

Do any of these changes dramatically alter the calculus on whether the Switch 2 is worth buying? Maybe not, but it is interesting to see some of the compromises and decisions Nintendo made to offer what is effectively "the Switch, but better."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2s-battery-life-is-shorter-than-the-current-switch-211753028.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2s-battery-life-is-shorter-than-the-current-switch-211753028.html?src=rss
Utworzony 1mo | 2 kwi 2025, 23:20:09


Zaloguj się, aby dodać komentarz

Inne posty w tej grupie

Trump has fired the director of the US Copyright Office

As first reported by

11 maj 2025, 21:30:14 | Engadget
iOS 19 may bring a feature that makes signing into public Wi-Fi less of a hassle

Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a small but welcome convenience feature with iOS 19: cross-device syncing for Wi-Fi access portals. This is according to the latest

11 maj 2025, 21:30:13 | Engadget
SoundCloud says it's never trained AI using artists' work after getting called out for terms of use change

Following backlash about a quietly added clause to SoundCloud's

11 maj 2025, 19:10:29 | Engadget
Samsung has begun taking pre-orders for its 500Hz OLED gaming monitor

It won't make you a better gamer, but Samsung's latest gaming monitor entices those hunting for faster refresh rates. The company's newest

11 maj 2025, 19:10:28 | Engadget
Scientists find lead really can be turned into gold (with help from the Large Hadron Collider)

One of the ultimate goals of medieval alchemy has been realized, but only for a fraction of a second. Scientists with the European Organization for Nuclear Research, better known as CERN, were able

11 maj 2025, 16:50:12 | Engadget
How to use Gemini to generate unique backgrounds in Google Meet

Google’s Gemini AI has been getting upgrade after upgrade

11 maj 2025, 14:30:23 | Engadget