With the updated Switch with improved battery life (and screen according to some sources) now on shelves in many retailers across the world, how do you tell if that Switch on the shelf is a launch model or the Mariko revision?

Apparently there's a simple trick; the new boxes are mostly red, (front) while the box at the back is the older model.

Just a PSA in case anyone was wondering. :)

You're like, 2 weeks late.

It arrived in some places two weeks back, but a lot of big outlets only just got it.

https://nintendoeverything.com/updated-switch-model-with-improved-battery-life-now-available-at-retailers/ [Dated just 3 days ago]

I looked and I couldn't see a thread already posted here.

For those wondering here is the difference in battery life between the new and old models...

Model number: HAC-001 (Old Model)
(product serial number starts with “XAW”) 
Approx. 2.5 to 6.5 hours 

*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 3 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Model number: HAC-001(-01) - Available starting in mid-August 2019 (New Model)
(product serial number starts with “XKW”) 
Approximately 4.5 - 9 hours 

*The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Source: https://www.nintendo.com/switch/tech-specs/

Good to know.

In Australia it tends to be Amazon or Ebay that have the best prices so you can't physically check the box. I think I will wait until the end of the year, when hopefully they have sold through all their old stock.

I'd be ticked if I accident bought the wrong one for the same price. This is why I buy day one at system launch, so I don't have to worry about buying something and a revision coming out shortly after. That and a ton of other reasons haha.

Breath of the wild was my reason to buy it at launch lol, I firmly believe that game is worth the cost of the Switch+Software even if that was the only title you ever played on the system.

Awesome thread btw @curl-6 cool to see that it's very easy to spot which one you're buying, I've been giving some thoughts to getting the revision to replace my aging launch model system and possibly turn that one into a homebrew machine after I remove my 3 accounts onto the revision hardware. I've got a spare 256GB MicroSD laying about as well... so tempting.

Cheers man. :) Just thought it'd be a handy PSA if anyone was looking to upgrade and wanted to make sure they were getting the new model since Nintendo's treating as almost a silent revision.

I only play docked so I'm happy to stick with my 2017 Switch, but for those who play portably and have the necessary disposable income I can see how a boost from 3 to 5.5 hours of a game like BOTW could be a tempting offer.

Wow, thats a big difference.

And is the new version not on Amazon? I can't find it there.

Link via NintendoEverything:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VJRZ62R/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=nintendoeverything-20&linkId=e1108d01866b2b6febe75f787e3ad69b&language=en_US&th=1

Mind you, while we have confirmation Amazon have received the new model, and this page certainly describes the new one based on both the box and the quoted battery life, some articles warn that if you order online you might get one of the older ones they're trying to clear out of stock:

https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/12/20802539/nintendo-switch-v2-new-updated-battery-console-how-to-buy

Your safest bet is to buy one from a store where you can see the box before you buy it.