Sometimes you just sense that something is right. Would I really want to grab a pizza right now? Of course. Is Hot Rod the best Transformer of them all? Definitely. Will I feel a bit miserable if the thermometer climbs past 22 degrees Celsius? Without a doubt. Will my sleep be disrupted because of a big event taking place tomorrow? Yes. And is the Switch 2 battery life too limited? Yes.
I’ve been using the Switch 2 for roughly a week and a half, spending several hours with it each day. While I’ve genuinely enjoyed it—especially Mario Kart World and Fast Fusion—my biggest takeaway is how much I’m wishing for a longer-lasting battery. I haven’t timed anything, but like the Steam Deck, the constant worry about the charge running out has left me fixated on keeping my Switch 2 topped up and ready.
Over time, I’ve become fairly relaxed about the battery levels of the gadgets I use every day. My watch, which is on the weaker side, only needs a quick recharge about once a week. My phone easily carries me through the day and could probably last two days if I skipped charging overnight. And my Switch feels like it can get close to a week when I’m playing only sporadically and I have some free moments.
To be clear, this is all based on personal experience. I’m not at home with a notepad, a stopwatch, and a spreadsheet, tracking exact usage hours (though honestly, that might be a fun way to spend an evening). I just know that, right now, a noticeable portion of my days gets eaten up by thinking about charging the Switch 2. I also prefer to keep the Switch 2 in a case—just like I did with the original Switch—rather than leaving it docked. That’s mainly because I see it more as a portable handheld device than a living-room TV setup. And that choice adds its own headaches, since I end up moving it back and forth between the dock and the case whenever I’m planning to take it with me.
This has made me think about what counts as “good enough” battery life for a handheld gaming system. You could say the roughly two hours I’m getting from the Switch 2 is fine, since I keep using it. Still, it slightly chips away at my enjoyment—kind of like that mild annoyance of realizing an item you just bought could have cost 50p less. I brush past it quickly, but if you look at it over a year, that would come to £180, and that would hurt a lot more.
I remember how rarely my DS Lite needed charging. What a fantastic device it was. Sure, I did recharge it, but the overall feeling was that it simply went on for ages—again and again, session after session. There’s a timeframe, I’m sure of it—probably around three to four hours—after which you’d feel the device had been used enough to justify another charge. I understand why the Switch 2 doesn’t reach that point, considering how its processing power and screen size pull a lot of energy, and I know the specific game you’re playing matters too. But for me, the current Switch 2 doesn’t feel built for whenever you happen to be; instead, it works best when you can take it places—ideally somewhere with power outlets.
I’m hopeful that a future iteration will bring clear gains in battery life, the way the original Switch got a stronger update with a new model released just over two years after launch. That’s something I can look forward to later, for my future self. For now, even with the console attracting mostly positive feelings, I hope you’ll understand why I might seem a little too worked up over what some people might call a small issue.
Yes, I can plug it in. Yes, I usually play the Switch 2 while sitting on my sofa. But that’s not really the main concern. I’ll have to work around it, because the battery just isn’t lasting long enough!
What do you think? Are you satisfied with the Switch 2’s battery life, or are you running into the same unexpected annoyance and frustration?