Recently, a number of Nintendo Switch users have reported issues with the console's battery. While the company addressed this concern by releasing a new firmware update, they are also offering an overly complicated fix for units that will keep having the problems even after the update. The fix involves charging and discharging the unit for hours, repeatedly, until the problem disappears.
The reported issue manifests itself in various ways. First, the console never gets fully charged, or the battery level indicator does not update when charging. Second, users are able to continue playing on the console even though the battery level indicates that the charge is depleted. Lastly, when connecting the unit to an outlet, the battery charging indicator disappears from the screen altogether.
The first step of the fix is to make sure the device is updated to the latest firmware. Nintendo says the convoluted fix only applies to units with version 3.0.1 or higher. The next step is to set the Auto Sleep Mode settings of the device to "Never."
After that, the user is advised to connect the AC adapter directly to the console until the battery is fully charged. For those encountering issues with incorrect or missing battery level indicators, charging it for approximately three hours will do.
Once the unit is fully charged, the user must leave the console alone for an hour while still connected to the AC adapter. Afterwards, the user must disconnect the AC adapter and allow the console to display the home menu for approximately three to four hours until the remaining battery life is almost depleted.
Once the battery is almost empty, the user is advised to turn off the device by holding down the power button for three seconds and selecting "Turn Off" form the Power Options. Then, the user must leave the device turned off and unplugged for 30 minutes.
After this long process, Nintendo says, "The battery charge indicator will improve gradually by repeating this process several times." They advise users to repeat the process two to six times.
There is no word yet if users have been successful in performing the laborious process to fix the battery problems, but players would surely be looking forward to a more straightforward fix from the video game giant.
