Nintendo Reveals Disheartening News About Switch 2

Nintendo has unveiled some promising details about the highly anticipated Switch 2, set to release on June 5. While this new iteration boasts some exciting upgrades under the hood, it does come with a hiccup—its battery life doesn’t quite match up to its predecessor. On average, the Switch 2 clocks in between two to six and a half hours of gaming juice, while the original Switch models have been known to last anywhere from four and a half to nine hours.

But let’s not let battery life rain on the parade just yet, because the Switch 2 is all about power and innovation. Think of it as the original Switch’s beefier cousin, sporting a larger display and the capability to handle some heavy-lifting with playability up to 120 frames per second, and it even hits a sparkling 4K when docked. If you’re eyeing the new Mario Kart World or can’t wait to embark on the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, those exclusive titles, alongside a slew of third-party extravaganzas, are ready to impress.

Sure, the upscale features bring with them a heftier price tag—expect to shell out $449.99 on launch day. For those dropping the dough, the trade-off for these state-of-the-art specs might be well worth it, assuming you’re planning on spending a fair chunk of time near an outlet or using it docked.

The Switch 2 does have a little shadow with its battery life not living up to the on-the-go gaming expectations set by its older sibling. Playing less-demanding games won’t hit the power bank too hard, but titles like Cyberpunk 2077 will be a different story—expect a quicker drain on your playtime.

Back when the original Switch first hit the scene, its battery life ranged from around two and a half to six and a half hours. Nintendo clearly took some steps in the right direction with later models stretching that to a solid 4.5 to 9-hour window—a tough act for the Switch 2 to follow. For gamers who lean towards exploring vast, graphically rich worlds while commuting or traveling, this could be a little bit of a buzzkill.

However, for those playing with the device docked at home, you might not feel any battery-related blues. Plus, there’s always some room for optimism with the possibility of future hardware tweaks. Maybe the yet-to-be-revealed Switch 2 OLED variant will tick the battery box a little better.

So as it stands, the Switch 2 is all set to redefine portable gaming once more, albeit with a bit more emphasis on staying plugged in. Regardless, fans ready to embrace Nintendo’s latest handiwork will have to juggle this small caveat as they gear up for next-level gaming adventures.