Summary
SomeNintendo Switchowners have been experiencing issues with battery drain following the latest console system update. Initial user reports suggest that the new firmware might be preventing theSwitchfrom going to sleep properly.
Thelatest Switch update began rolling outin early October 2024. It bumped the console’s firmware version number from 18.1.0 to 19.0.0. Nintendo has not yet released an official changelog detailing the contents of the 19.0.0 patch.
In the meantime, some people have started reporting that the update has negatively affected theirNintendo Switch battery life. A big influx of these complaints has emerged in a recent thread started by Reddit user Yukar1n, who noted that their console “remains warm in sleep” following the 19.0.0 patch, even if it’s left untouched for hours after use. This would seem to imply that the device continues running even when the screen is off, indicating it isn’t entering battery-saving mode properly. As of October 20, dozens of other Switch owners claimed they have encountered the same issue as Yukar1n.
Some Switch Owners Have Been Avoiding Sleep Mode After 19.0.0 Update
Not everyone affected by the problem immediately identified its potential cause. “I thought I was going mad,” wrote one Reddit user, noting that their console’s battery life was terrible after the patch, with the console dying after only a few days even without being in use. This state of affairs prompted them to beginfully shutting down their Switchafter the new update rolled out, thinking that its battery was dying. Several other users claimed they have also started avoiding sleep mode due to the update. However, this is only an option if the console is unplugged or charging via a cable. Namely, even a turned-off Switch will automatically enter sleep mode when docked.
Nintendo Switch Sleep Issues Might Have Started Before Update 19.0.0
Several Switch owners chiming in on Yukar1n’s complaint claimed that they have already started noticing their consoles being warm after sleeping even before the early October 2024 update. One of them said this has been the case with their device since firmware version 14.0.0 debuted in early 2022. While this might suggest the issues began before the 19.0.0 patch, it could also indicate that their specific cases have a different root cause.
Nintendo hasn’t yet acknowledged that there’s anything wrong with the latest version of its console firmware. Given how it’s been two weeks since the update rolled out and its patch notes are still nowhere to be seen, it’s plausible that no official changelog is planned to be shared because the release doesn’t—or shouldn’t—have any user-facing changes.Nintendo’s latest Switch patch notes were released in June 2024, when its 18.1.0 update discontinued support for sharing screenshots and gameplay footage via Twitter, now called X.
Nintendo Switch Lite
The Nintendo Switch Lite was released in 2019 as a low-cost, handheld-only game system. It’s designed specifically for handheld play, offering a lightweight design as part of its portable offerings. The controllers are built into the system for handheld play, unlike the larger Switch models. The console itself retains full functionality as a standard Switch, but it does not support docked mode.
