Tech Reference

How to charge a Nintendo Switch console in 2 ways, and keep playing while it charges

Written by Steven John
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The Nintendo Switch's portability sets it apart from all other home consoles. Even after you disconnect it from its screen, you can keep playing, no matter where you go.

But if your Switch runs out of battery, the fun is over until you get back to a power source. And unfortunately, the Switch's battery life isn't tremendously long — on an original Nintendo Switch, you'll usually get between three and nine hours of active use, depending on how hardware intensive the game you're playing is. The Switch Lite will give you three to seven hours.

However, charging your Switch back to full power only takes about three and a half hours. And you can always keep playing while the console is connected to power. Here's how.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Nintendo Switch (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

Nintendo Switch Lite (From $199.99 at Best Buy)

How to charge a Nintendo Switch

To charge an original Nintendo Switch using the docking station, which also allows you to connect the system to a TV:

1. Connect the provided USB-C charging cable to an AC outlet, and to the USB-C port found in the back of the Switch's dock. 

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Connect the charger (or AC adapter) to your Switch's dock.  Steven John/Business Insider

2. Slide the Switch console into the dock, so that the USB-C plug set into the dock enters the port on the bottom of the Switch.

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You can also charge the Joy-Con controllers by attaching them to the Switch while it's charging.  Steven John/Business Insider

If you want to play the Switch in handheld mode, or you own a Nintendo Switch Lite, just plug the USB-C cable directly into the base of the Switch console.

IMG_5749
The charging cable plugs right into the bottom of the Switch.  Steven John/Business Insider

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Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.