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Nintendo quietly upgrades the Switch with up to 9 hours of battery life

It's the same design, it just lasts much longer.

The murmurs of an upgraded Switch were true -- although you might want to put hopes for a Switch Pro on ice, at least for now. Nintendo has quietly unveiled a new revision of the standard Switch with dramatically improved battery life. Instead of the original's 2.5 to 6.5 hours, the new model manages a much healthier 4.5 to 9 hours. That's about 5.5 hours of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild versus the earlier three hours, Nintendo estimated. You shouldn't have problems playing through a cross-country flight.

There aren't any conspicuous changes to the design or performance. The FCC filings that previewed the new Switch made references to a new processor and storage, but the specs suggest Nintendo was focused on improving efficiency, not frame rates or resolution. About the only external changes are the digits on the outside. If you're looking for this new version, you'll want to look for the HAC-001(-01) model number and a serial number that starts with XKW.

Nintendo of America hasn't said when the refreshed Switch will reach stores. The Japanese division, however, has teased an August release in that country. You'll be paying the same price as before, wherever you live. And if you're kicking yourself for buying a full Switch recently, you do get a consolation prize -- Nintendo is offering new Blue/Neon Yellow and Neon Purple/Neon Orange Joy-Cons on October 4th for the usual $80.


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Presenter: Chris Velazco
Script: Chris Velazco
Editor: Kyle Maack
Producer/Camera: Michael Morris