Nintendo Reveals a Switch with Better Battery Life (and New Joy-Con Colors to Boot)
Images courtesy of Nintendo Games News Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is getting a minor tweak that is sure to please fans who enjoy the console’s portable mode: a longer battery life.
In a subtle update to the Switch’s tech specs webpage, Nintendo revealed a new model of Switch called the HAC-001(-01). The upgrade, which will hit store shelves “mid-August 2019,” apparently has everything in common with its predecessor except for a battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours. That’s roughly two hours longer than previous. Of course, battery consumption varies depending on the game you’re playing, which is why Nintendo gives such a broad range. Here’s a more concrete example: The old Switch could run The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for about three hours. The new Switch? Almost double the time: 5.5 hours.
Nintendo took to Twitter Wednesday to announce some more Switch-related news:
Customize your #NintendoSwitch even more with these new Joy-Con colors – Blue/Neon Yellow and Neon Purple/Neon Orange. Available beginning 10/4 for $79.99. #MyWayToPlaypic.twitter.com/231TcnnTG2
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 17, 2019
These two new Joy-Cons sets are in flat neon blue/yellow and orange/purple, keeping up the Switch’s power-clashing aesthetic intact. The orange/purple one, in particular, has a kitschy, Halloween party vibe to it—perfect for playing Luigi’s Mansion 3, perhaps.
Coincidently, these Joy-Cons will debut on Oct. 14, just in time for that spooky holiday. It will retail for the same price as all the other Joy-Cons at $79.99.