Nintendo issues important warning for new Switch 2 owners

Nintendo Switch 2 gamers are reporting major issues with the console's battery life, but there is a fix.

Handheld gaming is a wonderful thing. Whether it’s the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck or even a mobile title, being able to jump into a digital world to offer a distraction from life’s stresses is an excellent form of escapism.

However, as wonderful as handheld gaming is, it’s not often the case that you’re able to have extended gaming sessions on the go, compared to playing on a console plugged into a TV in the comfort of your home.

The main reason for that is regardless of what handheld system you're playing on, with a full charge, you’d be lucky if you got a consistent few hours of gaming. That being said, it could never get much worse than the battery life of the SEGA Game Gear in the 90s.

The expected life of the Nintendo Switch 2 battery on a full charge is estimated between two to six hours. However, I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to someone who got the maximum estimated hours of any handheld console. Typically, you’re often looking at the lower to mid scale of that estimate.

As reported by TweakTown, not only are some Nintendo Switch 2 gamers getting less hours of battery life than expected, but some are not receiving the warning that the battery is about to die, resulting in consoles unexpectedly shutting down mid-game.

Can you imagine being in a heated boss fight in Cyberpunk 2077 or preparing to win an epic online race in Mario Kart World, only for your Nintendo Switch 2 to suddenly die? I think it’s fair to say that many gamers might rage in such moments.

Thankfully, Nintendo has offered a fix that should hopefully work for all those encountering issues with the Switch 2's battery life.

Before you start the process of hoping to fix the battery life issue of the Nintendo Switch 2, you’ll need to have the official AC adapter (model NGN-01) plugged into the console directly and an internet connection.

Ensure that you have the latest system update downloaded to the Nintendo Switch 2 (found in system settings). Once you’ve checked that the latest system update is downloaded, turn off the console by holding down the power button (not on standby).

Now, press and hold the + volume up and - volume down buttons, while simultaneously pressing the power button once to switch the console on.

You must make sure that both volume buttons are continually held down until the menu for the ‘Recovery Mode’ appears on screen. At this point, Nintendo says, “Navigating to this menu should reset the battery level meter.”

Then, power off the console once more by pressing and holding the power button. Afterwards, when the console is switched back on, the battery issue should be fixed, says Nintendo.

In the unlikely event this doesn't fix the battery issues, Nintendo warns that the console will need to be sent to be serviced. If that is the case, hopefully, the retailer in which you bought the console may offer an exchange or refund, which should be a much easier process.