Nintendo Announces New Switch Model with Longer Battery Life
July 17, 2019 Chase CarterNews
An extra two hours of juice in the tank for the same price as the original
Nintendo provided information on their Japanese site this morning about an updated version of the original Switch that includes a more powerful battery. Due in September (in Japan, at least), this model will retain virtually every other feature of the Switch already sitting in your home, from the blue and red Joy-Cons to the flimsy little kickstand in the back.
The website claims the new battery will provide Switch players with between 4.5 to 9 hours of undocked battery life. Playing Breath of the Wild, their benchmark for more graphically demanding software, shortens that battery life to 5.5 hours.
Still, it's a marked improvement over the original Switch first released in March 2017. Currently, you can expect between 2.5 to 6.5 hours of portable gaming, with roughly three hours of power if you take Hyrule with you on the go. Nintendo's updated battery seems to add a solid two hours to battery life expectancy across the board, nearly doubling current capabilities.
Compared to the upcoming Switch Lite, the newer Switch will take back the prize for longest lasting battery. If you're someone who likes to play games away from the living room, you won't have to sacrifice additional features to extend your outdoor sessions.
The console will come in the classic color combinations, with dark grey or blue/red Joy-Con combinations. There's also a Dragon Quest XI special edition that will include the improved battery. It's suggested retail price is the same as the currently available Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo, Nintendo Switch
About Chase Carter
Chase is a journalist and media scholar interested in fan communities and how they communicate. He loves reading, cooking and his two cat sons very much.
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