New Standard Nintendo Switch Revision Offers Significantly Improved Battery Life

Not a PRO but a substantial boost

My switch is currently in for repairs... whats the chances they will put in one of these new batteries? haha

I wish we could upgrade our own battery.

Ok, THAT is quite an impressive boost

This is the model for people interested primarily in handheld mode.

wtf so the lite will have a worse bat life than this one

If they’d put out this, with greater internal memory and maybe more RAM or some other improvements, that’d been enough to justify it being a Pro. Very curious what we ultimately end up getting on that end

Yay...!
Better battery life.
But the body tablet and dock color is still Black...

That's a pretty significant improvement, so much so that if a Switch Pro had offered this much battery I'd have been well chuffed, let alone on a standard model.

@Toph6661 I don't think this has anything to do with New Battery and more with the New Tegra that the Switch is using so I believe that is the main reason, the changed the chipset so probably it uses less battery

@Toph6661 It's a new, more efficient chipset entirely, so not just a battery swap unfortunately.

Will be getting this one and 2 lites. Nintendo is getting all my monies this year!!

@Toph6661 the battery is the same. The difference is in the chip that has a better heat performance (it will be the chip used on the lite that also will be harder to crack)

Not bad, but too late for me.

(screams from the void)

@Ooccoo_Jr a pro model won't have this kind of battery life as it will be pushed to the limit of its capacity (like the original switch)

And there we go, here's the "PRO" model everyone kept overhyping lmao

That's a nice improvement, but not enough for me to buy a new Switch. I still have my battery brick that has enough juice to let me play for 12 straight hours if I want.

reads comments...

laughs at all the people who didn't understand the point of the article

This is actually quite a significant boost. With about a 75% increase in battery life, this new chip must have some pretty decent power consumption reductions. I would get this, but I have a Switch, plus surely a Pro revision is coming at some point next year...

I just hope Nintendo announce and release the Pro before the next-gen devices launch!

@Balta666 I think any Pro model would have needed to return an improved battery life regardless of extra power commitments. Given this current improvement to the base model however as you say I would probably now expect it just to match the performance.

@jockmahon That's probably due to a physically smaller battery, portability has its trade-offs...

@Toph6661 unfortunately the battery is the same as it was before - what changes things up is the new chip revision, 214 Mariko. So even if they replaced your battery, it would just be an identical battery (since there's no revision to anything else than the Tegra chip) with identical battery life.

Should they pop a Mariko chip in your Switch however, you'd get better battery life (assuming they would do such a thing).

Nice for those that are just jumping in. For me, battery has never been an issue because a) I tend to play it handheld on the sofa and b) I don’t like to take it out out*. Hence, I’m looking forward to the Lite for my everyday out and about games machine, trains, buses, flights, coffee shops, bars etc..

*thank you Mickey Flannegan

@Toph6661 it's the same battery, just a more efficient processor

Well I was considering a Switch lite for a second Switch but now I think I'll be getting one of these instead 😁

@Xelha yeah, and a screen. Hate those things.

@Itachi2099 Pro was just a rumour at the end or maybe Nintendo saw Xbox Scarlett is going to be released near end 2020 and PS5 in 2021.... there wasn't really a need to release a Pro. We will have to wait a year or 2 before we get a proper upgrade next Switch

Hmmm, I think if a special edition standard Switch for Pokemon (or another cool game) comes out after this revision then I reckon I'm down with buying a new Switch, as that big battery life jump sounds really enticing.

@Alucard83 Really doubt PS5 is 2021, it's a lot more likely to be holiday 2020 just like Xbox Scarlett.

@graysoncharles Quite sure Nintendo still wants people to buy it's regular Switch over the lite as the regular one actually "switches"

I'd say the lite is more for people in Japan/other busy lifestyle countries and children.

Also new Joy Con colors, including a purple one.
Thanks doc

I wonder whether the new chip will perform better in places where the original lagged on games it was supposed to run. Im thinking of the forest in botw that has infamous slowdown. I wouldn't buy a new console for a minor performance upgrade... I don't think.

Knew there wouldn't be a pro version and they would just update it in the background.

@Grumblevolcano Yes it is. Go watch youtube videos. Sony plans 2021. You're welcome

Beware how battery performance figures are nearly always on the optimistic side.

But if the new units do offer double the juice then good for the people that get them. Not enough to make me upgrade, but now I'm not so remorseful about ducking out of the Amazon Prime day deal, which by the way, was all over the internet by way of affiliate links on every tech site around.

@Patron

The Tegra X2 . . . Hopefully. That is the only way they will be able to compete after the PS5 and XBOX(2?) drop. That thing could potentially be as powerful as a base XB1, so here is hoping!

Would be nice if us early adopters could send our Switch in to receive this upgrade. I would happily pay for the labor costs, even.

Cool! I'm saving up for one so now I just have to make sure that it's the new model also I hope they addressed the joy-con drifting issue

Really hoping the new DQ Switch is this model. Since I am buying it anyway.

Edit: it is.

I will happily buy one of these over a switch lite. I mainly play handheld so the better battery life would be awesome but I didn't want to lose the switch ability.

@Rika_Yoshitake well it's technically the same performance processor output wise but with longer battery life and quieter running.

I'll admit i'm weirdly ... tempted?

I enjoy dragon quest Builders 2 a lot but the console do get noisy and heat up whilst playing that game a while. It isn't extreme mind you but "quieter cooling system" might be a bonus for me.

And I either could sell my old Switch for some money or gift it to a close friend who cannot afford one.

@Xelha you are right. Maybe the next version could be like an ipad or something.

I wonder how much you could get on Ebay selling old switch, to go towards cost of this new iteration? I may have to look into that in the future. That longer battery life is substantially improved!

That almost makes it worth buying the newest model.

Well this just makes the Switch Lite even more disappointing! Why couldn't they have given the battery a boost on the Lite model? It's a shame.

I'm happy to wait for a Pro model in 2020 though. My day one Switch really doesn't keep its charge as well now, but it lasts long enough for how I currently use it.

@Sean161 honestly it happens all the time in the industry too. It's how Xbox "fixed" the RROD and how PS4 Pros purchased after the early noisy models suddenly became "quieter" in regard to their own cooling system.

It's also notable that the new chip is not only improved over the old, it's made possible at all thanks to a production process that even make them cheaper to produce. so the old chips were going to stop being produced at some point making this new chip a way for Nintendo to continue making the Switch and possibly at a slightly higher profit margin than before(since the console DO sell at a slight profit ever since it got released).

Nope, waiting for a pro model with a larger glass screen and more RAM and faster clock speed.

@WhiteTrashGuy The X2 has already been replaced, it is like 4 to 5 years old already. Nintendo won;t release their next gen Switch until at least 1 year or 2 into MS and Sony's next gen.

@LinktotheFuture "Would be nice if us early adopters could send our Switch in to receive this upgrade."

It would most likely require replacing the entire motherboard, so it would probably cost just as much as buying a new Switch.

That's a massive improvement. I don't think any 3DS model had a battery life that long.

Looks like this is indeed the silent revision.

@Danrenfroe2016 -don't hold your breath (I'm waiting too but it's never going to happen).

@nocdaes they probably have but the Lite also feature a smaller battery than the OG so there were still some improvements to power consumption to achieve that slightly higher battery life than OG even if the new base model would have it beat.

Something tell me it won't take long until that chip make it into the production line for the Lite as well however.

The new chip is not only better but also cheaper to provide so the old chip will be discontinued at some point.

As it is the Lite was likely designed and started production before the new chip was fully available whereas this new base model just being a chip-swap of the original meant the change was much easier to enact in the production lines.

That's a really big improvement but I don't like the idea of buying a new revision before the inevitable Pro so I'll stick with my launch Switch for now

@Mountain_Man plus "more than two years since the initial console release" is more than acceptable for revision like these.

I don't think there even was that much time between the original DS and the DS Lite that was basically this sort of simpler revision(with modified form factor to boot) to the original hardware.

Brilliant! This bode s well for the Pro...

@Moistnado i'm considering for the higher battery life because it sounds like it can achieve similar performances at lower power consumption.

Which might mean it this generate less heat when running, which might mean that cooling system would at east be less noisy during such segments.

This said overheating in processors is often a cause of chugging performance iirc so it just might results indeed in some improved performances in (some) if the areas as a nice unintended bonus.

@Xelha I think in handheld mode, the joycons feel fine. Also the plastic on the joycons have a heft and weight I really like. The joycons are also so feature rich that it’s hard to call them “terrible” even if they are not perfect.

In terms of quality I’d still say the standard “in-the-box” controller for XBox is still the best. PlayStation really cheaped out with the DS4’s cheap plastic frame, but still comfy joysticks. The joycons have the most interesting tech, but the least maneuverable sticks of the three. I sorta understand it for ergonomic reasons, but it’s true nonetheless.

@graysoncharles with the Switch Lite I'd at least wait to see if they improved joystick durability to know if the controllers are themselves drift-prone after a couple of months before committing to a purchase.

If they're as prone than regular joycons I'd thus get this model instead since individual joycons can be replaced whereas with a Lite it's the whole console you'd have to send for repairs.

@NotTelevision personally the joycons are an awesome concept that just beg for a new revision improving their durability(the same way this revision to the Switch will bring such battery life).

I legit would consider ones going back to 3ds circle pad if it means they'd longer and be less prone to drifting as I otherwise love the versatility of these small things.

@Patron

To be a Switch 2 it would need a better cpu/gpu along with more/faster ram and such.

I do have to wonder; does Nvidia have anything in this space to even upgrade to? I mean this chip is still in the shield devices which you'd think would be upgraded but not so who knows.

@graysoncharles Well if you have the regular switch now and don't mind the form factor too much I would suggest you buy this revised version and sell the dock if you are a handheld only gamer.

You could probably sell the dock for $50-$80 bucks so essentially you pay the price of a lite for this updated one. The smaller form factor of the lite is definitely appealing but as a guy who has always preferred Nintendo handheld gaming, battery life is so important.

@Ooccoo_Jr the reason I feel that is unlikely is that I wouldn't expect a bigger switch as the current one is already on the limits of handhelding therefore not a bigger battery also (off you ever saw a switch open you see it has already the bigger battery possible) therefore any extra power will come at the expense of reduced battery life (in line with current switch is a normal compromise)

@Zuljaras But...swapping a battery isn’t the gain. It’s the chipset.

Wonder if Nintendo will allow developers to tap into the energy efficiency benefits of the upgraded board and memory. Theoretically, the system could more efficiently/reliably overclock itself to squeeze out better FPS. Like if the game detects you're using the (-01) revision of the switch it could allow the game to overclock the system in-game. It wouldn't be a huge boost in visuals, but could help games that suffer from low or stuttering frame rates.

Great I just bought a second Switch 😒. If a Pro model doesn't come out by the end of next year then mabey I'll get one of these.

edit: nvm

This is a little surprising to me, as this would be a feature that could be touted for a "Pro" model. Maybe the pro won't happen, and instead we will get small incremental upgrades like this over the life of the system? Imagine another silent update that upgrades internal storage to 64 gigs. I could see that.

Wonder if it's worth trading my hackable version in...

Thank God my switch is under warranty to gamestop 50 dollars is not a bad investment for some much needed battery boost

Cool for those who haven't gotten a Switch. Not enough to justify side-stepping over to it. Will continue to patiently wait for Switch Pro or whatever they'll call it next year.

The original Tegra X1 is 20nm. The new one is 14 or 10 nm, this is why the battery last longer. Nintendo chose battery over speed, but hackers will no doubt be able to configure it for speed by overclocking it.

any word on fixed joycon defects? i might consider just buying this instead of a switch lite if the controls can actually function in handheld play

@Rafke The Mariko chip is already being used since last year. This, most likely, it's a new iteration of that model.

Good! I'll get this one by the end of the year.

Wonder how much trade up I can do to get the updated version.

@boxyguy you can fix those. If one takes the time to look.

@Ludovsky Yep, makes sense.

Yeah this is definitely more for me as someone who almost never plays docked but do like the size of the standard model.

@Toph6661 It's not a new battery, the new Switch has the same battery as the current one.

It's a less powerhungry nvidia chip, so the answer is anyhow no they won't give you the new one.

@SwitchForce yeah ive seen ideas thrown around, still wish theyd actually address this issue rather than let everyone fix it themselves. my sr and sl buttons broke out of nowhere too. joycons just frustrate me at this point and im ready to buy a switch lite just to get away from it

kind wish i had this over my current Switch the battery life is just not that ideal

@Toph6661 I'm in the same boat! My Switch stopped being able to launch games. Sometimes it got to the loading screen, but always ended up with "Error!" screen. I'm fairly sure that they'll need to replace the whole thing instead of having to solve whatever technical issue is causing that to happen. (btw, has anyone mentioned to you that it's not the battery? I'm going to go ahead and mention that again right here just in case XD)

Anywho, how would I go about telling whether or not I got a fancy new chip if they send back a replacement, or if it's the same old boring chipset.

What about all the millions of current Switch owners it's quite unfair on us. Why do we have to spend more money for a new Switch just so the battery lasts longer. Why can't Nintendo create a device that boosts the current Nintendo Switch battery for all the current Switch owners that can't afford another Switch.

@Toph6661 it’s the same battery. Says so right in the article.

Holy moly, 5.5 hours minimum for Zelda Breath of the Wild? Up to 9.5 hours max?

Where do I sign up?

I need me one of these Master Switches and a Lite Switch to go with it.

@Zuljaras Same here. Great option for new buyers, but not much different than any other product. Still will be plugging along on my OG for awhile, methinks

@Ludovsky
"Something tell me it won't take long until that chip make it into the production line for the Lite as well however." From what this article states it seems that the Lite already has this new chipset " Mariko" my man

I always carry a big Aukey 30000 mAh power bank with me so not really an issue for me. I'd rather wait for a proper revision akin to the PS4 Pro.

Then again, I did shell out for a Mugen battery for my New 3DS XL, and I love that thing. I get soooooooo much play time with it.

@Preposterous Not when it's still $400 CAD

@Moviebuff1981

Wow, you really think its unfair a company releases improved products over time? Cmon, wake up, if you cant afford it, you save up money for it and buy it later...

@jockmahon
Where did you get that? I thought it was comparing the older Switch SKU to the this newer version? Not to the Switch Lite?

Nintendo keeps showing that the "Handheld" part is the most important. First the LITE and now this.

Exactly the move they need to make.

Im fairly happy with my current Switch battery life. Doesn't warrant an upgrade for my needs. Great for new consumers though.

Excellent news! Some Youtubers could end up eating humble pie again.

@Toph6661 "This 'silent' revision appears to use the same battery as before..."

I need to find all the posts of ' Nintendo have accepted the Switch is a handheld console ' after the Switch lite announcement... and laugh at them.

Already bought a giant power bank that I use for trips, so while it's cool definitely nothing making me need to upgrade. Hopefully we still get a pro with some upgrades that will be more tempting to pick up, and with some new color options.

Yes finally an excuse to trade mine in with its dodgy screen

This is not intended to be an upgrade for current owners, if you need the extra battery just get a reliable power bank.

For future new owners who are interested in the standard Switch instead of the Lite, this is a good treat.

Battery?!? I need more internal storage!

This just makes me want the switch lite even more as a secondary device.

Can we just retro-fit this upgraded processor chip? I'm guessing not.

@Alucard83 Not sure exactly wat YouTube video u r referring 2 but general consensus indicates a November 2020 release, there's a lot of speculation tho around a date as Sony have not confirmed anything as yet.

I really hope my Dragon Quest XI Roto Edition console has this new and improved battery. It's releasing at the end of September so in theory it should have it. I certainly hope so....

That's a really nice boost, though unfortunately difficult to justify a new console purchase like the theoretical Pro.

The real question is where are the tweaked Joy-cons to fix the bloody drifting sticks? That's a much easier purchase to swallow.

@Nintendofan83 It's the new model, it says in the Nintendo website.

"以下の本体セットも新モデルです"

Which translate to: "The following set is also the new model"

They're screwing us over.

Nice, I'll get this one and give away my original to my nephew.

@Moistnado Good luck with that. I said the same thing about the New 3DS XL and then bought it anyway.

@Toph6661 thought they said the battery is the same but the chip has changed🤔

I would be amazed if the Switch Lite doesn't match the updated Switch stats, as long battery life is the whole point of handheld gaming!

This will improve frame rate and resolution in docked mode, calling it!

@DannyBoi they're throttling us down...how?

@jockmahon The Switch lite will have a better battery life than this one, considering it's going to use the same innards but will be powering a smaller screen.

@jockmahon Yeah, of course. The battery is significantly smaller, what do you expect?

@tomwinsagain I completely agree except I see the actual pro coming in 2021 as Microsoft and Sony will be releasing next year. I'll be waiting for the better version as battery life is not a huge issue for me. If it doesn't come then I'll pick up one of these in a couple years but knowing Nintendo they will update to be able to keep third party devs on board.

Correct me if I’m wrong but the Mariko is better at power consumption than Logan. The Switch currently is underclocked and whilst there is a boost mode most games don’t use it. In theory, Mariko could use it just fine without the drain and heat issues. Mariko might even handle that as a norm and a higher speed as a boost? I guess what I’m getting at is when the market is more saturated with Switches with the Mariko chip they could turn on another boost mode for those Switches and they’d get better performance ? Or am I’m complete in left field ?

@electrolite77 they couldn't have a PS4 beating switch in the current form factor due to cooling. And it would be really expensive.

You have to remember that the current Switch is about 500 gflop docked. The base PS4 is 1.8 Tflop.

@Totaldude911 no it will not. The Switch lite uses a smaller battery. This model uses the same battery as the current switch.

It'd be great if Nintendo or any online retailer offered the chance to just buy the updated system, sans all other accessories, for a decent price ($150, maybe?).

For the amount I play, I'd love to get those extra couple of hours, but I have no need for everything else surrounding it, nor do I want to spend another $300 to get it.

....Can't I just get the battery itself instead? :/

@Ludovsky Yep, the new chip was probably pushed by Nvida as much as Nintendo... the old chip was effectively a legacy product at this point with one (albeit large and successful) customer in Nintendo. Nvidia get to close down a 5 year old chip fab line in favour of new chip fabs using more efficient manufacturing process, plus both Nvidia and Nintendo wanted to close the security loop holes embedded into the old chip. The fringe benefit of better thermals due to lower voltages / better battery life is sort of a bonus for Nintendo's 'silent' update. Only real downside is its another model that devs will have to test their games on in case there are chip-set specific bugs but thats hardly a huge issue really.

Definitely nice, but not enough to justify me buying a new one. Once the other specs are updated (or mine dies) then I'll be more inclined to take a look.

Perfect. This reads like this was the minor Switch hardware upgrade that I was wanting. I've held off for various reasons, but I'll definitely be picking one up later this year now. 😁

Well, I was feeling pretty good about my original Switch when the Lite was announced (because it was such a downgrade) but now I feel like a foolish early adopter.

@Nintendofan83 Looking at the japanese website which has already updated the branding to the new HAD models vs the HAC models yeah you are good. Where did you buy yours? I'm trying to spend less than 500USD.

Well, my switch is pretty busted up, so maybe I'll try to get this as a replacement

Looks good, I'll eventually upgrade to this one once my current Switch gets too old. But I'm still getting the Switch Lite special editions that peek my interest. Nintendo is getting all of my money.

Nice but it wouldn't had kill them to add a second microSD card slot and a second kickstand or at least upped the internal hard drive from 32gb to 64gb or 128gb.

Isn't that close to how long can the DS battery last? That's nice

@Blizzia They wouldn't 'put a new Mariko chip' in since its soldered to the motherboard. They'd effectively have to replace the whole board, which is basically the same as giving someone a new console so I doubt they would.

Though you are correct, even if they could replace the chip, they wouldn't anyway.

@retro_player_22 that’ll all probably come with the pro...

Anyway this is a significant increase in battery and might tempt me to swap my OG switch over at some point.

@electrolite77 I wish Nintendo created something that plugs in at the bottom of The Switch where USB C port is like something that would give the current Nintendo Switch more battery.

@TheMadPolarBear That was kinda my point But yeah.

Either way, it's basically: buy a new switch or make do with the old one. I'll probably get a new one since I play 100% handheld.

@electrolite77 Something like that but less bulky. Something that clips on at the bottom of the Nintendo Switch where you take the Switch on the go without carrying a portable battery.

Nice. That's an incredible improvement!

That's nice but for existing owners of the model, which is everyone, they should at least have a short-ish window where owners can send their unit in for a replacement unit. It's a win win, Nintendo knows less hackable units are out there, and eligible consumers get a longer lasting battery that "silently" got released

The battery life of basic Switch is really poor.

So, yea, I'm feeling really scammed right now.

This new lower-voltage Switch is the one they should have sold initially.

Now we all have to pay the price for Nintendo's penny-pinching.

The only bright side is that the old unit can be hacked (?).

Might actually buy one as I've had so many issues with my Switch, its been "repaired" twice by Nintendo only to develop the same issue again. So now I can't use it handeld as it doesnt show the right joy con as attached. It's not the joy con but the console connector, yet the joy con has never been detached as in docked mode I use my pro controller.

@Anti-Matter
Yeah...

@mousieone would see fairly minimal improvements. Such as the ones you already see now. Faster loading in BOTW, slightly better performance for certain games. Something tells me though that Nintendo won’t be doing this for quite some time, as to not risk upsetting early adopters.

Nice boost. Not another $300 for otherwise the same thing nice, though, so I'll wait for the rumored Pro or the next console.

@Toph6661 It's not the battery it is the Tegra chip, aka the cpu, gpu, motherboard, and operating system in one. Your Switch would have to be seriously FUBAR to require changing out the chip.

Nintendo are evil for improving their console going forward. I have had my Switch since day one and feel utterly betrayed by this move. Those 2 and a half years have been for nothing. (/s)

Well, folk have more of a reason for buying a Switch now. For me, a couple of extra hours play isn't going to make me lose any sleep, so I'll wait like a sensible person for a more substantial upgrade to my fave console.

They should've improved the memory while they're at it. 32gb is just a bad joke at this point. Could've at least doubled it...

@Xelha You don't know that yet. They could have also quietly updated Joy-Con manufacting as well.

@NintendoFan4Lyf Decent power banks are cheap now, although for all my long trips there has been a power outlet available (buses and planes). I have a couple killer 20,000mah batteries that operate at a relatively high wattage that keep up with the Switch. USB-C standards have made power delivery much better for power hungry devices.

@thatawesomedude they have release updates for the joycons that have improved ther functionality so that wouldn't surprise me if they did quietly uprgaded them

@Moviebuff1981 Power banks that use USB-C standards have worked well for me. There is also a battery case that snaps onto the Switch.

Anyone expecting a 'Pro' in addition to this is likely wasting their time. This almost certainly was the third model that was rumored about. And it's pretty much exactly what I expected it to turn out to be when the rumors first started, except I was also expecting a storage increase. But considering the dropping costs of SD cards, may have figured it wasn't worth bothering expanding, plus if the standard version got that big of an upgrade, it would eat into sales of the Lite.

@Krazzar Really I had no idea. Thank you.

@Snakesglowcaps right well that’s kind of par for the course but yeah a larger saturation of newer switches over older ones. But that’s kind of what they did with the New 3DS, slowly started pulling the older ones.

I wish I could trade in my old Switch for this one but I bet I'd have to pay a substantial "exchange fee".
If I could trade it in without having to pay anything I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I don't care about custom firmware.

I wouldn't want to trade my special edition (i have the monster hunter switch) for a normal switch.....But if the dragon quest switch is the mariko version (which it looks like it is so far) maybe I could get that.. But really I don't need to do that since I play in docked mode 99% of the time.....Maybe I'll just wait until the switch pro or whatever comes out eventually..

That is a pretty amazing improvement, this battery life would have been awesome to have at launch, though logistically speaking that probably wasnt possible, I am really curious as to why the Switch Lite has less battery life unless it is still using the old chipset, which would be very odd.

That's quite a boost!
Fantastic for those just getting one now, but not quite enough of a revision to justify me getting a new one, though. It'd need a few more revisions before I'd make that leap.

I'm buying this because of the Improvement of battery Life which is a huge Improvement over the other switch that has lower Battery life.

If this will be the only pro-model we will ever get then yes, I might be tempted to grab one of these eventually. But I'm hoping for something more than just better battery life, as much as I'm waiting for Nintendo to release a switch extra lite

Why do most people view this as "amazing, significant" boost? Having a couple of hrs extra battery life isn't really a wow factor and if this is Nintendo's idea of a switch enhancement I am worried for future upgrades.

People want a power boost, better battery, bigger harddrive etc., but they feel "scammed and screwed over" if it does happen. This hypocrisy is what I'm expecting if Nintendo does release an actual Pro model.

Another why?

I'll stick with the best Switch... The original one

Companies revise components and silently upgrade revisions all the time. Don't be shocked.

Are people complaining about better battery life?

Even the lite has slightly better battery life. The selling point of the lite is purely the cheaper price, and possibly the simpler form factor. If you have the money a real switch is always a better product.

Joycons have batteries which are recharged from the main battery, the power management for the full switch is quite different from the lite.

@KryptoniteKrunch I said a while back whatever Switch revamp comes out would be based on efficiency (or maybe storage/display as well) before power...you know as well as I do if they did bring out a so-called "Pro" down the line, it would never be "Pro" enough for some of this lot.

Not interested in the increase, but a nice feature for new users.

What I think would have killed is that instead of releasing the Lite, they released this upgrade in two SKUs, this regular one with dock, HDMI cable and grip, and a slightly cheaper alternative with just the joy cons and charger.

This way, portable only gamers would get more battery life, cheaper price and the option to get a dock later if they so wish at the cost of the system still being as big and cumbersome as always. And current owners would be more tempted to get a cheaper second switch without another dock for the better battery life, to replace their screen, get a second pair of hoy cons and perhaps wireless multiplayer.

I appreciate the hardware update that has caused the battery life to improve, but I rarely use it handheld anyway 🤔

I just sold my Switch last week because I knew they were coming out with a revision. This revision is not worth an immediate buy for me, so I'll wait till Mario Kart 9 (unless Metroid 4 turns out to be any good).

@electrolite77 Your right, it probably wouldn't. Especially since there isn't any marketable differences besides longer battery life due to a chip change but in this case, there is a decent reason why they could. The amount of stability updates the Switch has received over everything else 2 years in, you'd think they'd be on board with replacements

@Desrever have you ever tried to do a soft reboot to clean the kernel memory? Hopefully should fix your games launching issues

@leo13 you can buy a 400gb SD card for under 50 nowadays

@Crono1973 you have played your switch for 2.5years now and the others not...

@Anti-Matter Thank god, black looks slick af

@Dpishere it has a smaller battery as the current one does not fit in it

@Octane Not sure why you got over five downvotes for that perfectly sensible comment! Being able to buy and swap spare batteries as and when required would be fantastic. It also prolongs the life of the console, as it would no longer be dead and worthless when the sealed-in battery stops holding a charge. How is being able to avoid this fate a bad thing?!

@Balta666 I already have a 400GB card that's not my problem. My problem it's that Nintendo does NOT allow the save files to go to the SD card. My entire internal storage on 2 Switches is completely full

So is it a bigger battery? If yes, i hope to install it myself in my current one. I doubt a simple improvement in battery usage like XDA reported results in a battery doubling.

@DanTheSausage
The battery is the same. The processor is different I.e die-shrunken and thus more power efficient.

So much for the "pro" version. It was never happening. Nintendo only do updates as a replacement, not "pro" versions to sit alongside a base model. Too many people were fooled by the PS/XB situation and the original rumours. Even if this got more enhancements like more storage, a redesign and even slightly faster processing, it would not be a "pro" version. Why, kiddies? Because it would be a replacement system, not one sitting as a separate, more expensive model for "pro" players.

Hmm, should I get the more portable Lite or this new model?!

@Octane Having seen the Switch be fixed before, I understand why we can't. It's not like older phone batteries with a hard shell that can easily be popped in and out. The Switch battery is actually rather fragile and soft. Oh and if you damage it while removing it, there is a chance it will burst into flames. Because lithium.

@Jokerwolf

I have a feeling Nintendo will drop a Switch Pro / 2 in either March of 2020 or 2021. I guess we will have to see. Either way, with that and a PS5 coming my wallet is already hurting!

@mousieone I was referring to them upping clock speeds, performance, etc. Not them phasing out the old SKU. It’s obvious that’s the plan. I just mean they probably won’t start experimenting with the possibilities of the new chip anytime soon as to not make people feel like they’ve got an inferior model. Which they already do lol

There's a chance this is replacing the "Pro" Switch that has been rumored for months. This model seeks to actually replace the original Switch with the same price rather than be an optional and pricier revision.
This is actually a good thing: on next year, the talk will be on brand new hardware, and releasing simply a "Pro" Switch wouldn't be the smartest option.
While I think Nintendo is planning something more ambitious, I hope there's still a chance the standard Switch can co-exist, especially thanks to the Switch Lite

@Snakesglowcaps yup that’s what I think

I'll wait for the New Super Switch Pro U to upgrade. My launch day Switch is doing fine.

@Ryu_Niiyama I got it from a website called nin-nin games. I paid $475 shipped. I ordered about a month ago so Im not sure if they have stock left. Im pumped to get that system.

Wow, the new 16nm tegra really must be ALOT better as its the same battery. If they put in a 30% better battery in a Pro-version, they should be able to up the clock speeds with like 20-25%, still with slightly better battery life than original Switch.

@Octane
Not the battery is upgraded but the switch processor...

@leo13 you ok, never had that problem. I am assuming you have a lot of NBA 2k save files. Have you already cleared all games saved on the internal memory?

I mostly just play it docked these days, so I'm good. I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon. Maybe if a cool SE of the Pro comes out

@Balta666 it's funny that everyone believes that lie about NBA 2K. We have 3 Switches for the family and the switch that had NBA 2K18 AND NBA 2K19 is the only switch that is NOT having storage problems. The switches with the problems are because my wife and kids LOVE to play the creative games Lego Worlds, Minecraft, Minecraft Story Mode & Dragon Quest Builders are what's killing them. For example Lego Worlds alone is using 11 GB for it's save files (the game itself is downloaded onto an SD card)

@Balta666 Not only did I clear the kernal cache, I moved my user profile and info over to a friend's Switch and did a full factory reset. Still no luck. Actually seemed to make the issue worse. Instead of popping up an error screen it just went white and froze. So here's hoping they scrap the whole thing and send me one with a fancy new chipset.

@leo13 ok, the thing is that I actually checked this morning and I have 88 games with save data on the internal storage and I have 19.7 GB free still (but I don't play creative games that's for sure)

I get fine enough battery with my existing Switch so I'm going to hold off until a Pro is released. Besides, I carry around an external USB-C battery in my backpack anyway for my phone and Pokemon GO and it also fast-charges my Switch. So I'm good.

Now that its battery (from Nintendo's own numbers estimate) lasts longer than 3DS, what are adamant 3DS fanboys going to use as "proof" that Switch isn't replacing 3DS? You've now got a longer battery life, a dedicated handheld option, Pokemon, and virtually every other major 3DS franchise on or coming to Switch in the next few months, at this point is it finally clear Switch is the 3DS's successor?

@WhiteTrashGuy if they released a Switch successor in 2020, that's a shorter lifespan than Wii U! Won't happen, you won't see Switch 2 until at least 2023 since Nintendo already said they want a lifespan LONGER than the typical 5-6 years.

@Balta666 I realize this isn't a problem for very many people, but it is a problem for us and it's crazy frustrating. We can't start new games on 2 of our switches without deleting data for games we still play. Therefore I'd be HAPPY to pay more for a switch with more storage. I'd be willing to pay $250 for the lite one of it had more storage and I'd be willing to pay $350 for a regular one with more storage, but Nintendo won't offer either option 😠

Gonna hold off on getting a Switch for this new version yes they could have released a Pro but they don't need to Nintendo already future proofed themselves by making the current Switch very powerful out of the gate even more powerful than the Wii U which surprised me as their portables are usually a generation behind but to be almost as powerful as the Xbox One and not the 360 as expected impressed me so they should get a good 10 years out of this machine easily. They just need to get more AAA 3rd parties on board with making unique games for the system rather than downgraded home console ports like the good old game boy days and DS days.

@Toph6661 I was about to send mine in for repairs. I am going to call and ask if they can upgrade mine to the new component's.

@boxyguy I did see a Twitter lawsuit now showing up about the joycon drift.

http://chimicles.com/nintendo-switch-joy-con-drift-class-action-investigation/

@SwitchForce just saw the NL article too lol. really hope it gives nintendo that push to fix this, heck just quietly make a new revision like what they did with a revised switch model with better battery life. just ANYTHING to let us know that joycons are safe to buy

Pretty interesting that this is mostly due to efficiency improvements rather than a new battery. Bit of a letdown for those who already have a Switch, but should be great news for those who like to play with a battery case because that will last longer too.

Is this up for pre-order anywhere in Europe yet?

One thing I haven’t heard anyone mention, and I have no basis other than it seeming obvious to me, so it’s complete speculation, but...
With such huge improvements in battery life and reportedly thermals, couldn’t Nintendo theoretically create two handheld “modes”, one for extended battery life, and one for a performance boost, where the Switch could offer performance similar to docked mode? It seems the same visual fidelity could possibly be obtained, but in 720 (native display resolution) instead of 1080 (most televisions nowadays), meaning it wouldn’t need as much power as it does in docked mode. And yes, that would drop the battery life, but with the new chip maybe the battery life would still be better than the current iteration, or maybe the same, or maybe a little worse. And, while maybe not the Switch Pro, wouldn’t that be a significant performance upgrade? I don’t know about everyone else, but the graphical shortcomings in handheld are the reason I prefer to play the Switch docked. Thoughts?

Not the Switch Pro I was waiting for but definitely an improvement over the original. Just might be time to jump on the Switch bandwagon. Also a nice thing that micro SD card prices have dropped.

@Toph6661 It's the same battery new processor that's more efficient.

@Toph6661 It's the same battery improved Tegra Processor that makes the difference.