ENERGY prices are changing again this month, and people are looking for a number of ways to keep themselves entertained cheaply.
While you may think that gaming uses up a lot of energy, it completely depends on the console and which kind of games you play.
Nintendo Switch is the best console for energy conscious consumers.
The Nintendo Switch is the most energy efficient console currently on the market, costing approximately 33 times less to run than beefier consoles such as the Xbox Series X|S or PS5.
Here are the best tips to get the most bang for your buck out of your Nintendo Switch.
Check which model of Switch you have
There are three models of the Nintendo Switch, the original, the Switch Lite, and the Switch OLED.
Nintendo has strived to make its console more energy efficient as time has gone on.
This means the newer the model of Switch, the less energy it costs to run.
The Switch OLED is the most energy efficient model, but even newer models of the original Switch will cost less than older models.
Depending on what model you have, you might want to consider trading in your older console for a new one.
If you don’t play your Switch all that often this probably isn’t worth the cost.
To dock or not to dock?
The Switch is unique in that it can be played both on a TV, in tabletop mode, and as a handheld console.
However, playing it in handheld mode is by far the more energy efficient way to run the console.
Not only does handheld mode not cost the extra money it takes to run the TV, but the console itself uses less energy.
That’s because the Switch uses a lot of energy connecting the joycon wirelessly to the console.
When the joycon are attached to the console it’s far more energy efficient to run.
The best way to charge your Nintendo Switch
If you have either the original Switch or the Switch OLED, it is far more energy efficient to charge it using the dock.
This charges the console much faster than by simply using the USB-C port, and doesn’t waste as much energy.
When your console is fully charged, you can unplug your dock, and if you are not playing, make sure the console is shut down rather than in sleep mode.
All of these things will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Other tips and tricks
There are a number of small ways you can maximise the amount you can play on one charge of the Switch’s battery.
Turning down the brightness of the screen dramatically increases how long the battery will last.
Playing games that are graphically less demanding on your console will also increase your battery life.
For example, a 2D game, such as Celeste or Sonic Mania, will be less demanding than an open-world one, like The Witcher 3 or Breath of the Wild.
Finally, if you’re not playing online, turn off the WiFi and Bluetooth in the console’s settings.
Connecting to the internet and other devices uses a fair amount of energy, and most of the time you don’t even need them on.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
