Topic: Nintendo Switch battery life?

Hey everyone! I got a Nintendo Switch in March and I have recently noticed that I'm only getting about 1 hour playing in handheld mode. I didn't charge it to 100% the first time I got it (hype levels overload), and I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? Thanks!

I put mine in airplane mode when I use it in handheld and get close to two hours before I decide to quit. Usually have around 30% or so left.

I get anywhere between 3 to 5 hours, depending on the game.

I never charged mine to 100% on day one I have no battery issues because of it, I get the 3 hour range for Zelda

Anecdotal because most of the time in handheld mode I'm using it in shorter bursts, but with ARMS, playing online (wifi active), and in tabletop mode (bluetooth active), I seem to use 40-45% of the battery in about an hour. BUT keep in mind that's with bluetooth and wifi active at full brightness. In true handheld mode with a single player game that should use less. Using it in bursts of handheld play I rarely drop below 60% even with the power guzzling Snake Pass. Nintendo says 2.5-6 hours depending on the game. I'd say for a normal console type game. 3-4, closer to 3 is probably a normal assessment. Similar to the original 3DS. 2.5 if you have everything running full throttle including wifi for an intense game.

One hour doesn't seem right at all. What game is it?

@NEStalgia it's usually Zelda.

@ValhallaOutcast Ok, thanks!

@NEStalgia I think I realized what's wrong.
I keep forgetting to turn it completely off, and now that I do, it helps a lot. Thank you for the standard play times on these games, and the help!

I got my Switch just a couple weeks ago, and Zelda is only game I have right now. Lately I've been playing it handheld because my gaming TV is in my mancave, which is in garage, and it's too dang hot, so I take the handheld inside and play that way. My gaming time is pretty short too, maybe 2-3 hours. It doesn't last nearly as long as I thought it would.

@MegaPikachu Hmm, shouldn't need to actually power down...sleep mode uses like 1% battery every few hours. I wonder why that's an issue? I often leave mine off the charger most of the day, in sleep mode, and it takes almost no battery.

Either way, Zelda definitely is on the lower end of runtime, but should be at minimum 2.5 hours, and I'd guess closer to 3.

Best keep the brightness low and try to play games in handheld mode often. I keep my Switch at 70% brightness and use it in handheld mode and still get around 3 1/2 hrs of Zelda at Max.

@NEStalgia It's getting better. Thanks for all of your help!

@Yasaal ok, thanks!