Nintendo Switch Charging

[hbsterling]

I have heard a lot of problems with Nintendo switch bricking. I bought the newer version of the switch and was wondering if there are certain requirements for charging. Like can I charge with any usb c cable I got off of Amazon? In addition, can I use any charger block, such as the fast charger one I use for my samsung S8 or could I even plug it into a usb type A in an outlet and would that work?

[Mira Yurizaki]

The only requirement for the Switch itself is that the charger supports the USB PD spec and is of at least 15W. The reason why Switches were bricking was solely because of third party docks, which two pins on the USB-C connector have a tight tolerance. The problem with these two pins is one of them delivers 9V, the other is a 5V input into a chip on the Switch and the pins on third party docks sometimes would cross over, feeding the 9V into the input. Supplying 9V into an input meant for 5V will eventually fry it (https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/08/heres-why-nintendo-switch-consoles-keep-frying/)

 

If you use a USB charger that's out of spec, it will likely only damage the charger, not the Switch. The Switch is the one who's sucking up excess power, if the charger can't deliver, it'll only give less power.

 

In any case, if you want peace of mind, I suggest getting something from what https://switchchargers.com/chargers/ recommends.