Nintendo’s latest viral PSA could be the difference between your Switch 2 living or dying

If you want to keep your Nintendo Switch 2 in the best possible condition, the gaming giant behind the hybrid console has offered some new advice worth listening to. It seems that the Switch 2 suffers from some of the same battery issues as the original, which can brick the console. Nintendo’s PSA, which has since gone viral with over 50k likes on X, has details on how to avoid this fate.

In a social media post, Nintendo recommended charging the Switch 2 at least once every six months. Essentially, the console’s lithium-ion battery can stop working if left flat and unused for months at a time. We’ve known for a long time that this was an issue with the original Switch, but now Nintendo is effectively confirming that it also applies to the follow-up console, so it’s worth keeping in mind if you’ve got one but only use it sporadically.

This new PSA-type post comes months after Nintendo offered advice on getting the most out of Switch 2’s battery life by selecting an option to stop charging at around 90% to increase the battery’s life span. It also follows a battery life display issue, with the console’s screen inaccurately displaying the remaining charge, that became apparent in the weeks following the console’s launch. If you didn’t hear about it at the time, it’s still well worth looking into now via our Nintendo Switch 2 battery life display guide, as you might still be getting inaccurate information.

It doesn’t surprise me that the console’s battery remains a talking point as we build up to its first anniversary. I handled our Nintendo Switch 2 review, and the one thing I felt that was letting the device down was its battery. I was mainly referring to battery life at the time, but months later, I’m feeling pretty vindicated in knowing that my concerns about the Switch 2 sharing battery issues with the original are now effectively confirmed.

One thing Nintendo didn’t mention in its Switch 2 PSA is lithium-ion battery swelling, and we have seen a couple of reports of this issue, but it doesn’t seem quite as endemic as it was with the original or as with one of our favorite retro handhelds, the PSP. Still, as we mentioned earlier, the Switch 2 hasn’t even been out for a full year yet, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for any reports relating to battery issues going forward.