Topic: How to improve Wii U GamePad Battery Life?

Hi everyone,

I know with the Switch coming soon this isn't the best time to talk about this topic, but I would appreciate any advice I could get. I was wondering about ways to improve the Wii U GamePad battery life. Are there any ways to do it besides lowering brightness to its minimum and enabling Power Saver Mode?

Also, is it okay to leave the GamePad plugged in and charging after EVERY use of the GamePad? I had a bad experience in the past with charging my GameBoy Advance every time I used it, and its battery life decreased dramatically. I've noticed if I don't play in a week, the controller is dead and I have to recharge it (which apparently isn't good for the battery life), but I thought recharging it after every use of the GamePad would hurt the battery life as well.

@smm1 My battery was dying really quick, I was lucky if I was getting am hour from it before the red light would start flashing,I've only had my Wii U for just over 2 years. I got myself a 10 foot charging cable and just keep it plugged in all the time. It probably doesn't help the battery but it can't be any worse than having to constantly charge it from death ever hour or so. It's probably best to buy a spare battery of you plan on playing your Wii U for a fee years yet. They can be had for fairly cheap just now but the price will probably increase as time goes on and there is less demand for them.

@OorWullie

I understand where you're coming from, I've had my Wii U for just over a year and while I do get a good amount of time, there'd be times where I wouldn't play for a day or two, and the next time I play the battery is completely dead. It doesn't help that so many games and applications, from Netflix to Super Smash Bros to Super Mario Maker, all mirror the TV screen even if you're not using the GamePad screen, wasting battery. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze got it right - if you aren't going to use the GamePad in a meaningful way, at least give an option to turn off the screen.

I second this.

The official replacement extended battery is now $45 and I am debating whether it's worth buying it or buying one of the ones off of eBay...

@smm1 The GamePad battery has to be one of the worst quality batteries I've ever seen. No battery should drain that quickly when it's not being used. You're right about completely draining the battery, that will do it more harm than good over time. Unfortunately it's pretty much impossible to keep it at minimum charge at all times, that means you have to charge the GamePad daily, and those frequent charge cycles will also decrease its lifespan. Keeping the battery fully charged isn't beneficial to the battery either. There's no ''right'' way to keep the GamePad's battery in a good condition. Preferably the battery would last longer than a day of no use, let's say a couple of weeks, if that was the case you could charge and use the GamePad every couple of week or so and keep it in a relatively acceptable condition. In short, keeping it fully charged or completely drained isn't good for the battery, neither are frequent charge-discharge cycles. No matter how you treat it, you can't avoid all of these situations.

The best way is to just keep using your current battery and to not worry about it. If it eventually completely dies, and I don't know if the AC cable can bypass the battery, you can always look for a new battery then, if they are still available that is.

@OorWullie Unforunately that wouldn't help him either. I know that the idea sounds great on paper; buy a couple of extra batteries in case your current one dies; however, truth be told, your spare batteries will probably be dead by that time as well. Li-ion batteries also degrade over time, not just with use.

I third this. 6 - 8 hrs on a single charge, dang near as long as a Dualshock 4 controller.

Batteries of any kind are something I always avoid on eBay because you just don't know what you are going to get. In my opinion, it is always better to spend a little extra to know you are getting it from a reputable source.

@Sargon I almost 100% agree with you. In almost all regards, first party (OE) components are better.

The problem with this is its 4x cost eBay.

If it was a controller, there would be no question.

Honestly I just moved the charger to my chair and plug it in when low.

If you're able to use a pro controller, you can always turn the gamepad display off. Press the home button and go into the settings.

I keep my Gamepad plugged in all the time; haven't really thought about the battery life until now.

@Octane I just tested it. The AC cable doesn't bypass the battery. Plugging into the wall with the battery removed results in the battery light flashing. It seems that once the battery is dead, so is the Gamepad. The news that the Switch will share a similar fate doesn't have me leaping for joy.

@Monkey_Balls Thanks for the confirmation. I've read about it, but it's nice to hear it from someone on the forums. I wonder if there will be a market in the distant future for third party GamePad batteries...

Thank you all for the replies! As much as a bigger battery would be nicer, currently the GamePad is holding up decently so I don't feel the need at the moment to splurge on a bigger battery with Switch coming up. My biggest fear is that when I sell my Wii U the GamePad battery will be terrible, but as you guys mentioned there's no point of storing a lithium-ion battery anyway. I guess I'll wait and see. I did get my Wii U in mid-2015, so hopefully it'll last until I sell it and buy a Switch sometime late 2018.