Recommended reading

How to turn on Nintendo Switch 2's battery preservation mode

Guides
By published

Let's keep that new console running healthy for years to come

Photo taken by Tabitha Baker showing the battery on the display of the Nintendo Switch 2.
(Image credit: Future/Tabitha Baker)

If you've been graced by the arrival of a brand new console this week, you may be wondering how to turn on the Nintendo Switch 2's battery preservation mode. Now, let me stop you at the door so we're on the same page. You may think this sounds like a way to get a little extra battery life out of your Switch 2 so you don't need to cut your Mario Kart session short. It may sound like a "battery saving mode" but battery preservation is slightly different. Allow me to explain.

The Nintendo Switch 2 uses one of those pesky Lithium batteries that, if left at full charge for too long, can actually degrade it in the long term and make it so you'll be happy to get a solid 30 minutes in handheld mode. Like a lot of digital devices these days, you don't want to keep this thing plugged in and charging for too long, all the time, and so to futureproof the platform for the coming years, Nintendo has added a clever Battery Preservation feature.

So what does this do? Well, let's say you plug in your shiny, new Switch 2 to give it a charge. Using today's quick USB-C charging cable standards, it'll zip up to 80% in no time. What Nintendo's Battery Preservation feature does is slow down the rate of charging when you hit 90%, and then continues to maintain it at that amount.

Sounds great, right? And sounds like a way to ensure your Switch 2 keeps running nice and smoothly into the future. For that reason, we'd recommend that everyone turn theirs on. Here's how to do it:

  1. Head to your System Settings Menu
  2. Select System > "Stop Charging Around 90%"
  3. Toggle on to enable battery preservation

All you need to do is toggle that on, and you'll be good to get back into your Cyberpunk 2077 playthrough, Mario Kart Grand Prix, or whatever game it is you're glued to.

For such a solid quality of life feature, I'm a little surprised to see that this setting isn't on by default, but then again, some people are already very wise when it comes to charging etiquette.

For more on Nintendo Switch 2, check out the best Nintendo Switch controllers, a full list of upcoming Switch 2 games, and an explainer about Switch 2 backwards compatibility.

Duncan Robertson
Hardware Editor

One of my earliest memories is playing SuperMario64 and wondering why the controller I held had three grips, but I only had two hands. Ever since I've been in love with video games and their technology. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship at Expert Reviews. Over the last decade, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel about my love of games too. These days, I'm one of the resident hardware nerds at GamesRadar+, and I take the lead on our coverage of gaming PCs, VR, controllers, gaming chairs, and content creation gear. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.