If you've bought a Nintendo Switch, after Few Hour of Hack Slash Power Gaming it could be out of power. That doesn't sound good, right?
Based on Nintendo Switch Technical Sheet, the Switch’s 4310 mAh battery can handle between 2.5- and six hours of untethered gameplay, but that all depends on the game you play. In our experience with the likes of Zelda and Super Mario Odyssey , Ys 8, Xenoverse 2 , we’ve been getting around two to three hours - and I think that not enough for most of us.
So what can we do to extend Nintendo Switch battery life while on the Go (Handheld Mode)?
I believe the obvious answer will be get a decent Powerbank battery pack connect it and continue the Hack and Slash.. after a while you start to notice the battery actually decrease.. That cant be right, since the Switch is connected to a external power pack. This is one of the scenario that happened to one of our staff last time.
There seems to be a bit of confusion as to what power is required for charging the Nintendo Switch, and most of that seems to stem from the fact the supplied charger specifies an output of 5V/1.5A - 15V/2.6A. Portable power banks can usually handle the former, but not the latter.
However, the Nintendo Switch is not going to draw 15V/2.6A at all times. Most likely, this is reserved only for when it is combined with the dock and connected to a television.
We presume that in such a situation you will be using the Nintendo Switch at home and can connect its charger to mains power rather than a power bank. So when not connected to the dock the Switch will draw much less power, and refilling its battery with a power bank won’t be a problem.
If you don’t believe us look at the Nintendo Switch car chargers: some are specified at 5V/1.5A, which almost any power bank can handle these days, and others at a fast-charging 5V/3A. Some of the better power banks can handle this, too.
So what do you look for in a Nintendo Switch power bank?
What capacity do I need?
First, capacity. Most power banks operate at a minimum of around 65 percent efficiency, which means to fully charge the Switch’s 4,310mAh battery you would need to have a power bank at least 6,630mAh in capacity.
The bigger the better, though, and if you aren’t worried about carrying it in a trouser pocket and pulling down your pants then you could get a higher-capacity bank that offers several recharges for many more hours of unplugged fun.
Ports
Second, ports. The Nintendo Switch has a USB-C port, but that doesn’t mean that your power bank has to have one.
You can use a USB-A to USB-C cable to connect the Switch to a power bank, but note that in the vast majority of cases the maximum output of a USB-A port on a power bank will be 2.4A
You are more likely to find 3A output with a USB-C port, and in which case you may find a USB-C to USB-C cable offers a faster way of charging the Switch. Look out particularly for power banks that support USB-C PD (Power Delivery) - tech which allows them to output enough power to keep up with the demands of laptops or the Switch.
There are exceptions to this rule, of course, and the Omnicharge we outline below can offer up to 4.8A from each USB-A output. It does not have a USB-C output, so you’ll need to check which outputs the power bank you select has before you purchase any cables.
And, on that note, not all cables are created equal, and some USB-C cables use the slower USB 2.0 protocol. Look for a USB-C 3.1 cable for the fastest connection.
It may be useful to look for a power bank that can be refilled over USB-C, since this will allow you to use the same cable for both charging your Switch and charging your power bank.
Micro-USB is still largely the standard here, though, and most households will have several Micro-USB cables to hand.