Does the Switch OLED or Lite beat the original Switch in battery life?
The Nintendo Switch is a very popular and portable gaming console that comes in three different models.
There is the regular Nintendo Switch, the Switch OLED Model, and the Switch Lite.
While the names are very similar, there are some differences between the three. In this article I am going to be focused on a specific difference, the battery life and how they compare to one another.
I figured I might as well also make a table so it’s easy to see the different specifications, to make it easier to make up your mind about which to buy.
I have the first Switch that came out and I do wish it had better battery life, but I always bring my Baseus Power bank (click to view on Amazon) which more than triples the battery life.
Note that the first Switch is not the same Switch being sold as the regular one, as the newer one often referred to as V2 has better battery life.
Nintendo Switch Models Compared
Which Switch has the best battery life?
The regular Switch (V2) and the OLED switch has very similar battery life, while the Switch Lite has worse.
If you want the absolutely best Switch with the best battery life I recommend the Switch OLED (click to view on Amazon).
Since it uses an efficient OLED screen that turns off pixels that aren’t being used, it lets you game on a more beautiful screen for as long as on the regular Switch.
There is simply no reason to get the regular Switch V2, in my opinion, especially since you get twice the storage with the OLED model.
Do some games use more battery life than others?
Yes, some games use more battery life because it’s a more graphic intense game.
As seen in the table above, all of the three models can run The Legend Of Zelda BOTW for at least four hours even on mid brightness.
How do I make the Switch battery last longer?
The best thing you can do is to turn down the brightness. That’s one of the things that uses the most battery power.
If you’re often gaming on the move and have a problem with the battery running out, you should make it a habit to turn down the brightness before you start to game.
I also want to highly recommend getting a portable power bank with a fast USB C PD port, I have the Baseus Power bank (click to view on Amazon) and it has been excellent.
It can charge the Switch more than three times and it will of course also charge other devices like your phone and tablet. I can even charge my laptop with it, which has been useful on airplanes and trains.
I have done comparisons with brightness on about 50% versus 100% and the difference is huge, it can mean another hour or two of gaming depending on the game.
Sometimes you’re going to be playing in a very bright place where turning down the brightness isn’t possible, then you should at least turn on airplane mode and make sure WiFi is turned off.
What are your favorite Switch accessories?
It might be silly, but I really like the small steering wheels you can put your controllers in. Nintendo sells an official version, but I have the VOYEE Steering wheels (click to view on Amazon).
It seriously makes it more fun to play Mario Kart, especially with my friends and nieces.
I have had the Voyee wheels for about two years now and they’re still holding up, even though kids have been throwing them around.
Other than that, I don’t really have any special accessories. I have the portable battery bank I mentioned above, then a very simple Switch carry case made by a company called Orzly (click to view on Amazon).
