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The Nintendo Switch 2 will let you cap the battery charge level in order to increase its lifespan

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The battery should hold up better over time

Nintendo Switch 2
(Image credit: Nintendo)
  • Nintendo has detailed a new Nintendo Switch 2 feature via the Nintendo Today app
  • It caps the battery's charging level at around 90%
  • This should help extend the battery's lifespan

Nintendo has revealed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will have new charging settings intended to extend the battery's lifespan.

As detailed in the company's latest post to the Nintendo Today app, the 'Stop Charging Around 90%' feature will let you slow down the Nintendo Switch 2's charging speed when it hits about 90%.

This stops the battery from reaching its full capacity as often, which cuts down on the time that you can use the system unplugged, but helps extend the battery's longevity.

Generally, repeatedly charging a battery to full capacity before depleting leads to degradation and quicker loss of charge.

If you own a Nintendo Switch that you bought within the first few years of its release, then you're probably already familiar with this effect.

My first Nintendo Switch can now only last around an hour unplugged - significantly less than the around seven hours that it used to be able to achieve.

Similar settings to limit charging in this way are already available on most modern smartphones, tablets, and laptops, as it's becoming increasingly popular to help gadgets hold up better in the long term.

Nintendo has stated that the Nintendo Switch 2 battery will last between two and six and a half hours - though this figure likely does not account for potential wear over time.

The upcoming console is set to launch on June 5, 2025. It costs $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World.

UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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Dashiell Wood
Dashiell Wood
Hardware Writer

Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK's biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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