Sometimes you just know something to be true. Do I want to eat a pizza right now? Yes. Is Hot Rod the greatest Transformer? Yes. Am I going to be miserable when the temperature climbs above 22 degrees celsius? Yes. Is my sleep going to suffer because of a big event happening tomorrow? Yes. Is the Switch 2’s battery life too short? Yes.
I’ve been using the Switch 2 for about a week and a half, playing it for multiple hours every day. Aside from the fact that I’ve had a lot of fun with Mario Kart World and Fast Fusion, my main take away from that time is that I wish the battery lasted longer. I’ve not timed it, but just as with the Steam Deck the constant fear of not having enough charge has resulted in me becoming obsessed with making sure my Switch 2 is always charged and ready.
I’ve become quite blase about the charge levels of the numerous devices I use everyday. My watch, because it’s a bit naff, only needs a quick charge once per week; my phone comfortably gets through the day and could probably go two days if I forgot to charge it overnight; and my Switch seems able to last most of a week being played here and there when I have a few moments spare.
Again, this is all anecdotal. I’m not sitting at home, pen and paper in hand, stopwatch primed, tracking usage times and building a spreadsheet (although maybe that would be fun). I just know that I currently spend a not insignificant amount of my days thinking about charging the Switch 2. I prefer to keep the Switch 2 in a carry case (as I did with the Switch) instead of in the dock, mainly because I feel like it’s more of a handheld for me than it is a TV console, and this has resulted in even more logistical issues as I move it around from dock to case whenever I feel I might want to take it somewhere with me.
All this, in turn, got me thinking about what an acceptable battery life for a handheld games console is. You could argue that the two-ish hours I’m getting from Switch 2 is acceptable as I’m using it and won’t stop using it, but it is hurting my overall enjoyment in small amounts – like how I become momentarily miffed if I notice something I’ve just bought could have been bought for 50p less. I’m over it quickly, but over the course of a year I’d be down £180, which would sting a lot more.
I remember my DS Lite almost never needing to be charged, the glorious machine it is. Of course I did charge it, but my lasting impression of it is that it seemed to go on forever, play session after play session. There’s a number, I’m sure, probably around three to four hours, where you’d feel like you’ve used the device enough for it to need charging again. I understand why the Switch 2 is some way from hitting that number (this level of processing power and screen size guzzle juice), and appreciate that the game you’re playing does have an impact, but for me the current Switch 2 isn’t to be played anywhere, but instead is able to easily be taken anywhere – ideally somewhere with a power socket.
I’m sure a future iteration will make solid battery improvements, just as the original Switch was improved with a new model released a little over two years after the original’s debut, but that’s for future me to possibly be happy about. In the here and now, amongst mostly positive thoughts on the console, I hope you can understand why I am being overly dramatic about what you might think of as a trivial issue.
Yes, I could plug it in. Yes, I do mostly play Switch 2 while sitting on my sofa. That’s not the point. I’ll have to live with it, but the battery does not last long enough!
What do you think? Are you okay with the Switch 2’s battery life or is it causing you unexpected pain and misery, too?