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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Charging the Nintendo Switch

Hi, Guys.

It might be a stupid question, but do you charge your switch with anything else than the provided charger? I forgot mine on a plane and have been wondering if I could use a phone charger attached to a USB-C cable. I don't know the specs for the original charger so the help of someone with some understanding of this matter would be appreciated.



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Any USB-C cable connected to a power source will attempt to charge the Switch, but depending on what the power output of the charger is, it may or may not charge the system faster than it drains battery while being played.

I use this for charging outside of the dock and it's worked fine for me so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013US9FFY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



I love Nintendo's usb charger. Even bought a second for how good it is



RavenXtra said:
Any USB-C cable connected to a power source will attempt to charge the Switch, but depending on what the power output of the charger is, it may or may not charge the system faster than it drains battery while being played.

I use this for charging outside of the dock and it's worked fine for me so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013US9FFY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And did you test it in docked mode to see if it works?



That reminds me that I must invest in a 2nd charger for when I take my Switch on holiday with me. Thanks farlaff.



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Any USB-C cable works fine.



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StuOhQ said:
Any USB-C cable works fine.

Nice, but what about charging it in docked mode? A cell phone charger is enough?



farlaff said:
RavenXtra said:
Any USB-C cable connected to a power source will attempt to charge the Switch, but depending on what the power output of the charger is, it may or may not charge the system faster than it drains battery while being played.

I use this for charging outside of the dock and it's worked fine for me so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013US9FFY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And did you test it in docked mode to see if it works?

Nah haven't tried it that way, I thought you were only referring to handheld mode. This charger might not be enough to charge it while docked, maybe a 4.8A charger could but I'd have to look that up.



Any luck? Can't seem to find good answers just by googling



I would advise against using any cheap USB-C cable. It's a new standard and there are a lot of cheap cables outputting wrong currents and destroying electronics. Micro/mini USB is absolutely safe because it's an stabilished standard and the current is also lower. USB-C can charge a freaking notebook, so when a bad cable has a design issue, it's probably bye-bye Switch. In a few years, the USB-C situation will be figured out and everything will work as it should.

For now, it's better to stick to the default charger/cable or only use ones that came bundled with good electronic devices (like your phone). If you are using or buying a 3rd party cable, check on the web if it's good and safe.

Take a look at this article, it explains the situation and says how to get good cables and avoid damaging your devices: https://www.androidcentral.com/usb-c-problem-isnt-going-away-anytime-soon.