The battery that powers the Nintendo Switch‘s main handheld component will not be removable by consumers, at least not without running the risk of voiding the console’s warranty. According to the official specifications provided by the company and VideoGamer‘s report, however, the Big N plans to provide a replacement service for those that require a new battery, although it won’t be free. There’s no mention of how much the service will cost in the specifications, but it will – presumably – require owners to send the device back to the manufacturer to be fixed.
As is the case with other tablet devices, the Switch will use a lithium-ion battery to power the console (battery capacity of 4310mAh, as noted by the specification page) which, over time, will begin to lose its original capacity, leading to shorter and shorter play times when not connected to the dock. That may not sound like a particularly huge problem, but considering home consoles have a considerably longer life-cycle than other consumer electronics, it could well be the case that, a few years down the line (and assuming the Switch is successful), Nintendo will be inundated with requests for battery replacements from those that purchased it at launch.
Of course, the more taxing the software is running on the Switch, the shorter the battery life will be, but Nintendo says that users can expect around three hours of game time from a full charge when playing the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with a full charge itself taking around the same amount of time when placed in the dock and put into sleep mode.
It’s too early to tell whether the above will have an impact on sales, but for those intending to purchase the Switch to use its handheld functionality away from home or the living room, it could well prove to be a deal-breaker.
Tell us, has this swayed you to cancel your Nintendo Switch pre-order, or will you be at the front of the line on March 3 regardless? Let us know in the comments below.
