Key things
- Some Nintendo Switch owners are experiencing battery life issues after the 19.0.0 system update.
- Their complaints indicate that the latest firmware is preventing the console from sleeping properly, causing the battery to drain.
- Some users claim that this was an issue even before the Switch 19.0.0 patch was released in early October 2024.
Some Nintendo Switch owners experienced battery drain issues after the latest console system update. Initial user reports suggest that the new firmware may be preventing the Switch from properly entering sleep mode.
The latest Switch update started rolling out in early October 2024. It changed the console's firmware version number from 18.1.0 to 19.0.0. Nintendo has yet to release an official changelog detailing the contents of patch 19.0.0.
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Meanwhile, some people have started reporting that the update has negatively affected the battery life of the Nintendo Switch. A large influx of these complaints appeared in a recent thread started by Reddit user Yukar1n, who noted that their console “stays warm while sleeping” after the 19.0.0 patch, even if left untouched for several hours after use. This seems to mean that the device continues to operate even when the screen is off, meaning it doesn't go into battery saver mode properly. As of October 20th, dozens of other Switch owners have claimed to have experienced the same issue as Yukar1n.
Some Switch owners were avoiding sleep mode after the 19.0.0 update
Not everyone affected by the problem immediately identified its potential cause. “I thought I was going crazy,” wrote one Reddit user, saying that their console's battery life was terrible after the repair, and the console died after a few days of not using it. This condition caused them to start shutting down their Switch completely after a new update was released, thinking it was draining its battery. A few other users claimed that they also started avoiding sleep mode because of the update. However, this is only an option if the console is unplugged or charging via cable. Namely, even a switched-off switch will automatically go into sleep mode when inserted into the dock.
Nintendo Switch sleep issues may have started before the 19.0.0 update
Several Switch owners who joined Yukar1n's complaint claimed that even before the October 2024 update, they started noticing their consoles heating up after sleeping. One of them reported that this has been the case with their device since the release of firmware version 14.0.0 in early 2022. While this may indicate that the problems started before the 19.0.0 patch, it could also indicate that their specific cases have a different the main cause. .
Nintendo has yet to admit that there is anything wrong with the latest version of its console's firmware. Since it's been two weeks since the update was released and its patch notes are still nowhere to be seen, it's likely that no official changelog is planned to be shared, as the release doesn't – or shouldn't – have any user orientation. changes. Nintendo's most recent Switch patch notes were released in June 2024, when its 18.1.0 update ended support for sharing screenshots and gameplay footage via Twitter, now called X.