Nintendo's latest Switch update fixes battery issues, with one caveat

While most users have had no problems with their Nintendo Switch units since the device launched back in March, some people have been experiencing a battery indicator issue since day one.

Now, Nintendo has issued an update to address the problem, though it requires some hoop jumping on the user's part. 

The bug causes the console's battery indicator to rapidly drop from a full charge to 1%, despite the battery itself continuing to function as normal. The problem is less of a critical issue and more of an annoyance, as it prevents users from seeing how much charge their console actually has left.

Charge and charge again

In its Update History page, Nintendo states that the latest 3.0.1 update for the Nintendo Switch addresses the "issue in which the remaining battery charge can't be displayed accurately," though unfortunately, the fix requires the user to follow a number of additional steps before the problem is resolved. 

First, the user must set the Switch's Auto-Sleep mode settings to "Never" for both portable and docked modes. Next, the console must be connected directly to the AC adapter and charged to 100% battery capacity. 

The user must then leave the console on the Home screen for around three to four hours to deplete as much of the battery as possible. Once thats done, power off the console and repeat the process two to six times. Yes, you read that correctly.

According to Nintendo, repeating this process should gradually improve the accuracy of the console's battery indicator.

Stephen Lambrechts
Senior Journalist, Phones and Entertainment

Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible. 


He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.