As much as it pains me to say it, the Switch 2's short battery life is a real bummer

Sometimes you just know something to be true. Do I want to eat a pizza right now? Yes. Is Hot Rod the greatest Transformer? Yes. Am I going to be miserable when the temperature climbs above 22 degrees celsius? Yes. Is my sleep going to suffer because of a big event happening tomorrow? Yes. Is the Switch 2’s battery life too short? Yes.

I’ve been using the Switch 2 for about a week and a half, playing it for multiple hours every day. Aside from the fact that I’ve had a lot of fun with Mario Kart World and Fast Fusion, my main take away from that time is that I wish the battery lasted longer. I’ve not timed it, but just as with the Steam Deck the constant fear of not having enough charge has resulted in me becoming obsessed with making sure my Switch 2 is always charged and ready.

I’ve become quite blase about the charge levels of the numerous devices I use everyday. My watch, because it’s a bit naff, only needs a quick charge once per week; my phone comfortably gets through the day and could probably go two days if I forgot to charge it overnight; and my Switch seems able to last most of a week being played here and there when I have a few moments spare.

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Again, this is all anecdotal. I’m not sitting at home, pen and paper in hand, stopwatch primed, tracking usage times and building a spreadsheet (although maybe that would be fun). I just know that I currently spend a not insignificant amount of my days thinking about charging the Switch 2. I prefer to keep the Switch 2 in a carry case (as I did with the Switch) instead of in the dock, mainly because I feel like it’s more of a handheld for me than it is a TV console, and this has resulted in even more logistical issues as I move it around from dock to case whenever I feel I might want to take it somewhere with me.