3DS Battery Life Revealed

Eek. Not totally surprised but...eek.

I'm not too concerned with the battery, unless they do implement that "3D movies" idea.

Looks like I'll have to wait for the 3DS XL...

That's as pathetic as the Game Gear's battery life. At least it doesn't take 6 AA batteries.

It really isn't all that surprising, but I hope that future iterations of the system will extend the battery life.

This is not affecting my decision...I pre-ordered yesterday.

I don't even have a problem with the DSi's battery life, which is three or four hours tops with screen brightness all the way up, so this I can live with quite easily. Plus I've always got a charger nearby anyway.

I usually play on the lowest brightness setting, so I wonder what the numbers they gave out are for?

Yikes, though this isn't too surprising. I was expecting the battery life to be that short.

@cheetahman yeah, I remeber that. my mom actually wouldn't let me play it because she knew the batteries would be dead in about 2 hours. at least this has rechargeable batteries. I'll make sure to get a car charger, also . :3

With the rapid advancement of graphics technology and everything else, that's kinda dissappointing. I'll still get it, but it's a little dissappointing.

it gotta be longer batterytime with the 3D down on 0 right?

Even though we could all see this coming, it's still not a fun thing to hear.

@ V8 Ninja you know they're gonna pull that again

So what I gather is that it's not much worse than the DSi's battery life. If it's that much of a problem for you, you can always buy those inevitable external batteries that also provide a shell for your system.

Perish the thought of spending $20 for multiple extra doses of battery and a case, but losing a twinge of portability.

The real problem is the amount of time it takes to charge...

It's more than my laptop by a long shot, so I'm fine

It could be worse.

I think it's decent. I don't take my portable out much anyway. I normally play them here at home. And we'll do a thorough battery life test when we get the system in hand.

that's almost a 1:1 ratio for charging if you plan on playing 3DS games... yeesh. this makes holding off for a 3DS Lite sound pretty good IMO :/

thats nothing bad my dsi takes like 4 days to play through (with the time i play with it) so 2 days of playing this one should be more than enough. also notice that 3-5 hours is when the 3D effect is on and should cover 2-3 movies

And... GBC is the winner! Yay for AA batteries. I think that you can remove the title of portable from portable consoles now, since they have to be plugged into a wall constantly to use them anyways.

@V8 Ninja ....Dude....THAT IS WHAT WORRIES ME! ...I bought my first DSL like a year after it was launched, then i bought another DSL few months before DSi was released...In the same week it became available on stores Ive already had my DSi right on my hands...few months later i noticed Nintendo was releasing a revision of DSi but now it was DSiXL.
I dind't bought that one but it is something that makes me think twice about this brand new 3DS... I mean, if I buy it on just when it is released, i run the risk that 6 months later Nintendo anounces they are developing an upgrade to 3DS, or a better design, and of course I dont wan't that... so I don't know what will I do.. buy it or wait few months after it is released.
And now retaking the battery issue, well i cant complain a lot because i mostly play in my room, but it is a pain if i take my DSi on a trip because it runs out of battery really quick, well i think there isn't much to do with this problem so I can get used to it. (:

@Arcader18 Very true

Ill just charge it more no bigy

Who would actually play this thing for 5 hours straight though? Meh, I'll just need a car charger for those long road trips.

@Arcader18: Yeah, I feel the same way. As excited as I am for the 3DS, I really doubt i'll buy it at launch or even this year. I may wait for another iteration to come out, because this year will be busy, busy for me with school and work.

The charging cradle will certainly help matters, making it simple to get in the habit of charging whenever not in use, without the hassle of reaching behind a table and whatnot to find the cord end.

Also, @23 is just what I was thinking. We need some typo cleanup here.

And if it would last for one hour! Come on folks... it's the 3DS! The last time I was so excited for a new system was 20 years ago! I think this thing will be freakin' awesome!!

4-6 is about what I'm getting out my smart phone with heavy usage so I'm glad I've had a few months to get use to this new world where horrible battery life is the norm. :/

it looks to be the same power plug as the dsi, so I'll just keep it plugged in.

Urgh...looks like I'll be sitting next to a charger alot...

Was expecting that, no specifics on how long it will last with the 3D off? You know, for those long car rides?

This is a large factor for likely waiting for the Lite model. Considering what it's doing, that's decent battery life. But it's not acceptable for a device, really. It needs to last that DS portion (5-8) for 3DS games, IMHO.

I'm a portable gaming nut, but I'm one who conserves power on the go instead of just letting it all out.

I use maximum power at home mostly, anyways.

This does give me pause. Ultimately, it's all about how good the games are. I'm hoping the second iteration of the 3DS will be better, because I will probably wait a couple years for the system's library to build up (and go down in price) before diving in.

100% fine with that. No biggy at all.

Good thing it comes with a charging cradle!

@Corbs Thanks, I was hoping NL wouldd do something like that.
I'll probably end up timing how long my DSi holds a charge and compare it to NL's.

The only thing better than that, would be for you guys to do a complete tear-down! _{Corbie's future 3DS shudders}

Meh, not too big a deal. 9 times out of 10 I play my handhelds plugged in anyway.

I think that's about what my iPad can do. I'm honestly not that surprised or even annoyed. I usually play my handhelds on the couch anyway.

would be cool if it had quick swap batteries like laptops, you know eventually they're going to release a slimmer 3ds with longer battery life and a bigger screen...

@43 Actually, iPads can go up to 10 hours. Back to the 3DS, that amount of battery life doesn't worry me. Actually, it's what I expected. I don't expect a powerhouse device like the 3DS to be $300, AND have more than 14 hours of battery life. I can also estimate how long the battery life of the PSP2 would last (30 minutes, highest brightness).

@45: i was about to say the same re: iPad battery life... we have one at my second job, we use it to play Netflix stuff or videos 8 hours a day and it still always has plenty of juice left over. i'm not a fan of it myself, but for everything we use it for it gets great battery life.

Eh, it's a good thing I play my handhelds mostly at home... though it sucks for roadtrips... seriously... five hours at the most. D:

_{Maybe I'll wait for the Lite too... D:}

I actualy do the majority of my handheld game playing AT HOME WHERE I HAVE MY CHARGER ANYWAY, so I'm not too heartbroken over it. I'll just make sure it's got a full charge before I leave home. Besides, not like I'm marathon gaming on the move.

Heck, I'm playing Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Mini-Land Mayhem) as I'm typing this!

Where there's a need, there's a product, like that enormous amount of wiimote chargers, and as a better example, those iPhone portable batteries/ battery charging cases. Just you wait, there will be several different portable charging packs and charging cases come mid-year.

I'm not sure if the 3DS could be playable while it's in the charging cradle. The charging cradle looks too bulky to hold... I wonder if it comes with a normal charger...

Considering that the battery for the 3DS is better then the one for the DSi and DS games on the 3DS will run from 5 to 8 hours It would be impossible for that to be the lowest brightness setting considering the lowest brightness setting on the DSi runs from 9 to 14 hours and I don't see why DS games would use up more power on the 3DS then they did on the DS. You also have to consider that Nintendo said that the battery of the 3DS will be close to the DSi whose battery length on the max brightness is 3 to 4 hours which is close to the 3 to 5 hour stated for the 3DS. If 3 to 5 hours really was the lowest brightness setting considering that the DSi had 5 brightness levels the highest brightness setting would be close to zero and that would be ridiculous or the 3DS only has one brightness setting like the original DS.

I don't mine.

Just wait two years after launch for 3DS Lite with 30% longer battery life, and 12% larger bottom screen! Problem solved!

Seems a bit small, but I'm still going to get it anyway. No biggie.

Hey @53, you already said that at the geek site, @52 there's a list of what will come in the box that includes an AC adapter and @44 i really like that avatar, i tried to make that papercraft but i messed it up

@SuperDel: They said the cradle comes with the system when it was announced. The question is whether there's also a plug-in option for playing while charging, as I'm inclined to agree with supernin10do regarding probable awkwardness of playing with the cradle.

I also definitely agree with shadownin; this info simply doesn't add up. My DSi gets at LEAST 10 hours per charge, because I usually only use the first two brightness settings. The battery for the 3DS holds a larger charge than the DSi; this was revealed recently. Therefore, the 3DS SHOULD last LONGER playing DS games than the DSi does. Unless the thing runs them in a substantially different way, such as having the Home menu available even while playing older titles (which could be pretty cool...I sure wish PS3 had the same ability when playing older games!).

Anyway, I'm not worried about this yet, or even taking it as hard fact at this time. More data needed.

Also, I reserved my 3DS almost two weeks ago. Why was that availability never reported here, anyway?

Not going to bother me, it sounds like the 3DS's battery life when playing DS games is going to be just as long as the DSi's, which I am used to. Besides, I usually play my handhelds at home with the AC Adapter plugged in. Also, I can always use a car charger for playing the 3DS while traveling. Considering the 3DS's battery life seems to be just as long or longer than the PSP's [and the 3DS is way more powerful than the PSP], I say that's actually a pretty good battery life.

That's Garglemesh!
Well, I hope that it comes with a car charger at the very least.

Okay I am DEFINITELY not buying this crap until it jumps up to atleast 12 hours. Seriously Nintendo WTH were you thinking? Pricing this at 250$ and only putting in 5 hours of battery life? THAT MAKES THIS A PIECE OF GARBAGE. THAT IS WORSE THAN THE IPOD'S BATTERY LIFE! WTH WERE THEY THINKING! They have officially lost my buy.

Hyper- The DSi's battery life is 14 hours on a single charge.

@Nintendoftw: I'm sure they're crying in their offices now

Thats not bad.

No really the ABSOLUTE BIGGEST thing to worry about in a handheld is battery life and Nintendo went the way and ruined their own handheld by putting in a crappy battery.

Not a problem, I play my DS at my desk for the most part where it is conveniently placed next to a power source. And whenever I go out I usually play it no more than a couple of hours, whether its a waiting room or a car ride.

syd- PSP's average battery life is at most 6 hours... Oh wait a second.. Okay okay I am still buying. But still this might severely affect my decision though.

I also realized that I could just buy a better battery...

@23. Marvelousmoo haha true.

For me the big problem here is you can't play while charging because the new charger won't let you, am I right? Wait, you can unplug the cable from the back of the 3DS cradle and use it like a regular charger so... The battery life is just fine for me.

the battery's not that bad, it's the high demand that affects the battery life

I knew it would be bad after hearing about that charge stand. Sucks for a portable system, but considering the upgraded specs, it was obvious from the start. So I wont be feigning surprise either, unlike some.

I'll mostly play it at home anyway. The battery life is not my biggest priority.

Wow... I thought the PSP's battery limit was pretty mediocre... 3 hours!? And it takes even longer to charge!? That's crazy!

But I suppose with all that technology, it's not too surprising.

@Nintendoftw: You do know it's a 1300 mAh battery and replacing it yourself voids the warranty

I very rarely ever play my portables anywhere that I can't charge up my system. This isn't a problem, and isn't surprising either.

@MERG
Where did you preorder it?

Not terrible battery lifespan. My DSi usually don't last more then around four hours anyway.

What I'm more concern about is that this will lead to a succession of 3DS revisions after revisions. After being disappointed with the DSi to the point where I did not mind losing it to an accidental wash, I am not buying more then one version of a console.

Looks like I'll have to wait a couple of years before buying the 3DS just to buy the likely revisions. I was honestly hoping this would break the annoying traditions of more then two revisions of handhelds that started with the Game Boy Advance, but the battery lifespan, while not something I consider bad, will probably contribute to at least two revisions.

@deegan714: You can actually pre-order the 3DS now at any GameStop location.

This news isn't too surprising to me and I'm not too concerned about it either. I rarely take my handheld systems out of the house anyway so I'm good.

It is about the same as psp

@#76...gamestop

@Zack Kaplan.... it really depends with the PSP. There is a better battery from Sony that can be purchased that adds hours to the battery life, and depending on what your playing, differs the battery life.

Playing PSP Minis with the larger battery your looking, (estimated guess) roughly 7-8 hrs.

Playing a game such as Final Fantasy Tactics/Dissidia would only get you around 4-5 hrs.

Batteries (Lithium Ion) also loose their efficiency over time, and the PSP batter is rated for approx 500 charges until needing to be replaced, so pretty much every time you charge it you loose some efficiency.

Not terrible but still: ouch.

That's somewhat discouraging, as I usually play my DS on the train and the train round trip is about 3 hours. I might have to pass on this one until a later revision is out or a more accurate report of it's battery life is in.

Some 3rd party should make some kind of solar-powered induction charger mat that looks like a burrito. Just slip your 3DS in that, wrap it up, and put it in your pocket with the panels facing up for juice anywhere!

At neogff and gonintendo the reaction is terrible to this and there are flamewars.

This is similar to the DSi ON THE HIGHEST BRIGHTNESS. Hopefully this is also for the highest brightness/3D setting (since the regular DS games get more battery life). Still pretty lame. Though, my iphone's not any better if I'm playing games the whole time. If it costs $250+, I'm may hold on to my DSi until the 3DS Lite (with hopefully better battery) comes out. Luckily it seems like my 12+ hour plane/train/bus rides are over for at least a while.

I must say, I'm surprised. With a handheld console this great, you'd battery life would be great too, right?

....But it's not a worry for me, as I rarely play without the charger in sight.

@HeroOfTime007: Don't worry, there won't be any flamewars here. :3

I can already see the "Maybe it's time to take a break" pop ups while I'm riding through Hyrule field...

Your all forgetting that Nintendo may not make any remodels (God forbid). But it is true, Nintendo honestly should remodel the 3DS every 1 or 2 years to keep with the times, especially with that battery life.

Not really a problem for me, since I usually play in my room, where there's a charger. It's the road trips I gotta worry about.
Car charger = need.

This is expected, as the hardware seems to be very good and with that comes poor battery life as battery technology hasn't really leaped as well as other parts of the technology market.

While it would be nice to have a longer battery life, three hours would be a major improvment over my ipod touch, which loses battery pretty fast, especially while Im playing games on it.

I'm with Nintendoftw, they may need to make a new version in 2 years or so.

@Ecto-1: Hehe, it reads kind of like the instructions for those cheap Chinese console rip-offs. Nice info if you can work through the engrish, though, although this particularly caught my eye, and not for a good reason:

• Purchased new Nintendo software download software and data move function can be moved to 3DS. Nintendo DSi from Nintendo DSi Nintendo DSi LL and you can move the software. There is a limit to the number of moving. Some software can not move.

I think that they are suggesting that you can only perform tranfers a certain number of times, not that you will only be able to transfer a certain number of titles.

Oh. That's okay then.

That explains why Nintendo wants us to take breaks every 30 minutes.

This should boost Dragon's sales three fold. They score a bundle from me buying super-charged batteries for my friends and myself.

i'm not a big fan of this whole diminishing battery life per charge thing we've got going on. This seems much closer to the PSP's battery life...which is one of my biggest criticisms of the handheld.

QFT

Until full details are revealed I take this number as everything cranked to the max. I don't play on full brightness and the 3d will probable be at half for me so that number does not worry me.

Eh, I'm not bothered. I'm pretty sure that VC games will use less juice anyways, and that's one of the main reasons I'm actually getting 3DS(es).

And if I do end up getting a couple on launch day (not counting my bro's), I can just play one while the other's charging should I feel an urge to play Mario Kart or something.

If you're out in a remote area with no power for longer than 4 hours at a time and nothing but 3d video games, then... well after 3 hours or so it's probably time to start worrying about other things; like hunting down some dinner or chopping some wood to build a crude shelter.

@108: Best post right there

no worries just give me the machine asap

EEK.
_{Still got my eyes on the prize though.}

@108 you just posted best comment to urself? lol.

Sadly i won't be picking this up on day launch. Unless i get really REALLY lucky on payment day. Or i take off getting only one Pokemon game and not both this year.

Not to suprising. Still, the 3DS is a great machine... the charge wont effect my buying in any way.

Hm... I hope that some third party company or something makes a 3ds battery that can hold a charge better, or at least an expansion pack or something.

I shouldn't be suprised, but I am.

How long is an hour, exactly?

But can you play it while it charges like the old DS?

I think Nintendo is starting to fall into some of the classic trappings that many companies have falling into in the past when it came to hand-helds, which is low battery life and high hardware costs, and bizarrely it was Nintendo who beat most of them in the hardware wars because it stuck to the basic principles of making sure the hardware was affordable and the battery life was decent.

I'm sure the 3DS is just on the ride side of the line but Nintendo is pushing it and is really testing the lengths consumers will go to just to try out a new unique gaming experience.

For the record, I for one will not be buying a first-generation 3DS system.

^^QFT.

Honestly, that is a deal breaker for me. I won't be picking up the 3DS until they fix that problem. Nothing that costs more than $200 should have a 3 to 5 hour battery life.

For shame Nintendo, for shame.

Guess that explains the handy-dandy cool looking charging station! - You're gonna charge. A lot. Oh well, I have poweroutputs to spare! I just have to make it a habit of placing it in my charger every time.

i found some numbers for comparison:
Nintendo DSi: The lowest brightness (9-14 hrs), low brightness (8-12 hours), medium brightness (6-9 hours), high brightness (4-6 hours), highest brightness(3-4 hours)

Nintendo DS Lite: The lowest brightness (15-19 hrs), low brightness (10-15 hours), high brightness (7-11 hours), highest brightness(5-8 hours)

as for my thoughts, I always play with my ds plugged in while at home, and when i bring it on a car ride i don't have the brightness all the way up, and i REALLY hope I don't go on an 3 hour car trip with no car->ac adapter (which I own). i should be fine

Not a problem for me I always keep my DS on the charger, and while traveling I make sure to find the nearest outlet if I am going to be at one place for a long time.

I'm sure Nintendo is really worried about losing "launch day-gamer" purchases over nit picky issues like this.
a couple years ago a system this powerful (without any screen or 3d) was only something you could plug in and play from home. The size is what makes it portable, being able to travel (i.e. stow in pockets/bag) with such an awesome machine is the entire point, and a few hours of battery life at all is a major bonus for actually playing on the move in a vehicle. Everywhere else in the modern world there is an outlet, why is it such a boon to just plug in? Isn't that what you all do at home anyway where most people have the time to play long sessions?
I so don't get how this could ever be a deal-breaker for someone. It'd be one thing if it was like a Black and white pocket poker/ tetris machine, but it's a friggin' 3d game console with two screens, etc.
I think bad online options and content is the big dealbreaker this gen; hopefully Nintendo has figured that out this time, because it will fail hard if the net stuff isn't good/ plentiful this time. (ironically that stuff won't need 3D or high bright settings so it'll save battery life, for the whiners that are all worked up about it)

Doesn't bother me. I listen to music and look at the world when I'm out and about. 3DS will mainly be played at home and at other ppls houses. 3-5 hours is just fine, especially when you consider how much tech that battery is powering.

Bring it on!!

We have to consider that this is with 3DS only games at the highest brightness setting and with 3D and volume sliders set to max. I usually play at night with my DSi in the lowest brightness and with volume set at 3 so I've got no problem with the 3DS.

@116:
1 hour = 1 million New York mins

Not a big deal to me, but Nintendo, like Apple, is always quick to make a better version of their hand-helds shortly after release (GBA, the GBA Advance, DS then DS Lite, etc), so I'll wait for the 2nd run of these bad boys.

SEGA GAME GEAR!

I imagine they will be improving the battery life over the course of the next 5 years. I think if I get one it will be version 2.

@207kd agreed. Really not all that surprising.

This might also be the fourth charger too.

that battery life seems pretty good considering. i am worried though, if the charger is supposed to be a dock, than can it be charged while playing? I charge while playing with my dsi all the time. road trips and plane rides might need the nifty little battery powered portable charger though that was in the lineup of 3DS accessories.

I still don't know if that's for the lowest brightness settings or not, but it's still not "critical" to me... Now if it only had 2 hours on the lowest settings, I'd start to question Nintendo's sanity. I always carry my portable units in cases along with their chargers, so it's not too much of an issue for me. I too am tempted to wait until a 2nd iteration, which I think Nintendo themselves know will focus primarily on increased battery power. That unit probably won't be released until late 2012 early 2013, so I'll just go ahead and bite down on the 3DS Phat and upgrade later when it comes out.

I can't wait to not buy this!!!

Damn, that sucks. Ah well, wasn't going to be getting one at launch anyway.

Really Nintendo? Short battery life is one of the main complaints about the PSP. I hope the system is built in a way where 3rd part expanded battery packs are available.

Normal charger, check. Car charger, check. Computer charger, check. Alright, I'm ready to play now.

Only playing it inside is one thing, but Nintendo's aiming for a portable system that you're supposed to take outside and bring with you. You're supposed to use StreetPass and walk around with it to get coins and other special crap. So is it low battery life or the further incentivizing of going out and about with it? It can only be one of those two.

As for me, I'll see if the car adapter will be enough.

3-5 hours isn't surprising like many have already said. Frankly, I know I can at least get 8 hours of play time (when it comes to playing 3DS games) cause that's what I do- MAXIMIZE the battery life (if that makes sense lol). Another factor is WIRELESS options. Like with the DSi, where you can disable or enable wireless connectivity. Turning it off saves more power. Then we have the 3D effects which should play a factor in terms in consuming battery life- then the brightness settings and maybe even the pedometer.

I just named 4 highly likely factors that contribute to 3-5 hour lifespan. The article provided is just to vague when it comes to what determines the battery life. I'm sure come near release, more 'concrete' information will be given. And I know on the first day when I get mine, Ima be figuring out on how to conserve battery life every way I can just like I did with my PSP and have done with my DSi.

Then personal factors such as use when I'm 'on the go' or when I'm at home. Not too complicated for me, thankfully. I think everyone needs to take some time and figure out how to save battery life when it comes to their standards. That's all, really...

its not that bad...

Let me just say that there is one primary reason why the monochrome Game Boy beat out both the Sega Game Gear AND the Atari Lnyx, despite both of them being full color graphically superior: BATTERIES!!!

Nintendo, please don't give Apple a free pot-shot at creating the next big portable gaming system.

I am for real, on the road trips, my Atari Lynx would eat up batteries like Pacman eats power pellets... I heard the Game Gear was the same way. The screen would start going dimmer, and the game system /batteries would get ridiculously hot towards the end of their useful life. I would seal the hot batteries in a zip-lock bag and dunk them in ice water from the ice chest to cool them off, then squeeze another 5-10 minutes playing time out of them before ZZzzzzz...

The DSi I normally play it around the house then if the battery gets low, pause and sit in the recliner and plug it in the charger, then unpause and continue playing without interrupting my game session, but there appeared to be no charger port in the photos of the 3DS, and you just set it on top of the cradle to charge with no plugs. If this is true, then the 3DS is using some kind of field-induction charging method, aka loop currents inside the charging cradle create an electromagnetic field flux, which induces a current inside the portable device, allowing it to charge the battery. Field-induction chargers will in the near future replace the twisted jungle of wires and charging adapters for portable devices. You will someday be able to buy a large field-induction charger, then toss a dozen or so portable devices on top of it and all of them will charge simultaneously.

If this is the case, then hopefully the 3DS pulls enough juice from the cradle to allow it to be left powered on while charging. Then just leave it to Datel or Madcatz to develop a 2-in-1 comfort grip/ charging cradle with wired AC adapter, and maybe even a 12V car lighter accessory adapter for those long road trips.

Gotta say, It's not too bad. I don't really play with the 3D on when I'm traveling, or whatever, so it saves alot of battery.
It's very expected because of the advancement of this system.

-Late comment, but fine :3