Your Switch 2 May Last Longer Than Advertised.
Playing Mario Kart or Zelda on the go is convenient enough, but once the Switch 2’s battery indicator shows it’s about to run out, you’ll have to worry about the nearest power outlet again.
If you’ve been playing the Switch 2 in handheld mode this week, you may have noticed the console warning you that the battery is draining faster than you expected. You may have chalked it up to the device’s more powerful hardware putting more strain on the battery than the original Switch , and resigned yourself to having to charge it more often.
The thing is, you may also notice that even though the battery shows low, you can continue playing for much longer than it suggests, perhaps even a few hours longer. That’s because the battery indicator isn’t really telling you the truth: Your Switch 2 probably has a lot more power left than it’s telling you.
This isn’t a theory: As IGN reports, Nintendo itself has confirmed that this is happening . While it’s not entirely clear why some Switch 2 consoles are showing incorrect battery stats, Nintendo does have two official troubleshooting steps you can try if you encounter this issue.
Recovery mode
If your Switch 2 is giving you incorrect battery stats, try booting the console into recovery mode. To do this, turn off your Switch 2 completely. Then, press and release the power button to boot the Switch 2, and while it does so, hold down the volume up and volume down buttons.
Simply rebooting into Recovery Mode may solve your problem. If not, try one more step.
Recalibrate your battery
Battery calibration typically involves discharging the battery from 100% to zero, then recharging it to 100% to “reset” the battery indicator range. This was common advice for older types of batteries, but with the advent of lithium-ion batteries, you won’t see as many people insisting on calibration.
However, Nintendo recommends this to improve the Switch 2’s battery indicators. In fact, the company recommends calibrating the battery multiple times. Here’s what the company says to do:
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Update your Switch 2 software to the latest version.
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Go to System Preferences > Sleep , then set all three Automatic Sleep modes to Never .
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Connect Switch 2 to a power source.
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Charge your console to 100% or charge it for at least three hours.
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Let the console charge for another hour.
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Unplug the Switch 2 and leave the console in the main menu for three to four hours.
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When the battery is nearly empty, turn off the console completely for at least 30 minutes.
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Repeat several times.
If you don’t notice an improvement after performing these calibration steps multiple times, you may need to send your console to Nintendo for service. It’s unclear what Nintendo plans to do to fix affected units. (I hope the solution isn’t to just give you a new unit.)