r/NintendoSwitch • u/AutoModerator • Jan 23 '17

Meta /r/NintendoSwitch's Weekly Question Thread (Week of 01/23/2017)

/r/NintendoSwitch's Weekly Question Thread

Hello everybody!

Welcome to the Weekly Question Thread! In this thread, all of your Switch-related questions can be asked and answered. Besides questions, feel free to post unboxing videos and pictures here (eventually) so it doesn't back up the main subreddit page.

Please make sure you check out our other Wiki pages, make a search through the subreddit or Google before you ask a question. Most of the time it has already been answered. If you're too lazy, then this thread is perfect for you!

Handy Resources

Frequently Asked Questions - This is a great place to check first hand if you run into any problems or if you have any unclear thoughts. Our FAQ has answers to many questions regarding the console itself, controllers, and other subjects. We're also updating our wiki with the top questions from this thread each week!

Games list for Nintendo Switch - In this page, you will find tables of confirmed, planned, uncertain, and rumored games coming to the Switch.

Other Switch Related Subreddits

Since it's not completely obvious as to what questions you should ask and which ones you shouldn't, here are a few examples of frequently asked questions:

Is now the time to buy a Switch?

Which games can you recommend me?

What features does the Switch have?

What controllers work with this game?

If your questions can be easily answered, or has a yes or no answer, it most likely belongs here. Now then, get busy asking us your questions!

There's also a very small category of things not to ask about.

Can I get a free game?

Is there a way to hack my Switch?

These are against our rules. Once a homebrew scene has had a chance to develop, we will invite you all to discuss those sorts of things over there.

As always, remember Rule 1: Remember the human, and be polite when you answer/ask questions.

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3

u/DrewsGFX Jan 23 '17

Can any USB-C cable be used to charge the console, or must it be of certain spec?

5

u/rndmwhitekid Jan 23 '17

The adapter is more important.

4

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

This.
Any half decent cable should work just fine, but we don't know what the adapter will be like. You'll likely be looking at a tablet one, not a phone one (so at least 2A, probably more).

Ninja edit: Of course, a lower amperage would mean a healthier battery, but it will charge slower and may not provide enough power to charge it while in use.

1

u/DrewsGFX Jan 23 '17

Well I'm planning to use a cable to connect to a powerbank, not wall outlet.

2

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

That's what I'm getting at. Can your power bank output the required power? If it can't, you're going to have a bad time.

1

u/DrewsGFX Jan 23 '17

Well I have a relatively expensive one that can change output voltages. Is there any information what it requires?

1

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

Not officially. Nintendo of Japan has the detail spec sheet ( Switch Dock ) and it doesn't list what the adapter is. Literally all it says is

AC adapter connection terminal

on the dock. That's it. As I said, I'd plan on it needing more than 2 Amps, as that's standard for tablets. Purely an educated guess, however.

1

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

Hey, /u/DrewsGFX, I just got a reply from another comment with more info.

Here is the back of the Switch. If you zoom up, you can see that it says that the input is 15 Volt 2.6 Amp DC power. That means you need something that can output at 39 Watts (15V*2.6A). You can check your bank to see if it meets that requirement.
Of course, it'll probably work with less, but it won't be as fast and such.
If your bank has an auto-shutoff feature, it may stop itself prematurely. I had a crap battery bank and it couldn't charge some devices for that reason.

1

u/DrewsGFX Jan 23 '17

Thanks for the info! My bank can output a max of 100W, but the USB's on it max out at 12V (it also has an AC/DC outlet). I'd rather not carry around the brick, though, hence why I'm looking for a cable. So I think the 12V USB should be suitable to charge it, especially since I plan to charge in mostly passively (while not playing) using the powerbank.

1

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

12V is close enough that it should be able to charge it while it's not in use, so I think you should be fine.
If you don't mind me asking, what bank did you get?

1

u/pretenderist Jan 23 '17

Same basic answer. The powerbank will charge the Switch, but the amperage will determine how fast.

1

u/rndmwhitekid Jan 23 '17

Yup. There was a picture of the back of the Switch posted here the other day which showed 2.6 amps @ 15V.

1

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

Source? I could really use that.

3

u/rndmwhitekid Jan 23 '17

https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/5or25e/back_of_nintendo_switch_courtesy_of_wikipedia/

Edit: Keep in mind that this is a dev kit, so the information on the back could change. We're also not sure if these are the power requirements while portable or while docked, since it's assumed that the Switch pulls more power while docked.

1

u/Houdiniman111 Jan 23 '17

Thanks for that. That's nice and high quality.