Best Battery Backup for Your Nintendo Switch in 2022

Two Nintendo Switch consoles
Two Nintendo Switch consoles (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / iMore)

The Nintendo Switch is a blast to play on while docked at home in front of your television, but what if you want to take that fun with you on the road? You're going to need a bigger battery. That's why finding the right battery to help power up your Switch while on the go is necessary. With the S-Charge Switch Battery Case, you can feel at ease. You'll know you have a portable charger that'll extend playing time for hours more.

Best Overall: S-Charge Switch Battery Case

Before hitting the masses, the S-Charge initially launched on Indiegogo two years ago. In that time, the S-Charge has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from reviewers and customers alike. It's one of the better-designed battery cases on the market, and carries a solid 10,000mAh of capacity to boot.

This case packs many features gamers would welcome, such as an adjustable kickstand, two slots for storing game cards, and a traditional USB port for charging up any smartphone or tablet of choice. If you throw in a little more cash, you'll get a bundle of things added like a protective carrying case to fit your Switch in along with a couple of screen protectors. It's expensive compared to other options, but it's worth it for what you get.

S-Charge Switch Battery Case

Bring your game cards with you

Reasons to buy

+
Charge your device while playing
+
Card slots
+
Improved kickstand
+
Phone charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey
-
A bit bulky

This case is the most premium choice on the list due to its solid play and charge feature and built-in card slots.

Best for Power Users: Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD

Sick of the standard four hours or so of playtime you're getting with your Nintendo Switch? If you said yes, then surely, you'd appreciate this offering from Anker. Their PowerCore+ 26800 PD is the type of product power users crave, with its 30W output and 26,800mAh of juice that can get you almost a days' worth of playtime. It's an all-purpose extended battery that can be used for not just your Switch, but your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

The PowerCore+ 26800 PD has some unique features. For starters, the "PD" that shows up after USB-C in the name stands for "Power Delivery," which highlights the battery's ability to output at higher power levels. In layman's terms, this particular kind of power management gives your Nintendo Switch enough juice to function while it charges. What's also remarkable about this battery is the fact that it only needs 4.5 hours to charge fully. Unfortunately, this isn't the most portable option. It's inconvenient to carry and quite heavy, especially if you're carrying more than just your Switch.

Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD

Juice up quickly with Power Delivery

Reasons to buy

+
Recharges in 4.5 hours
+
USB-C PD is fast
+
Charges multiple devices

Reasons to avoid

-
Inconvenient to carry
-
Heavy

This battery backup's 30W USB-C PD transfer impressively allows your Switch to play strong while charging.

Best Portability: Nyko Power Pak

The Nyko Power Pak has an impressive profile that is both slim and lightweight, allowing for comfortable travel on a plane or the road. This pack has some decent construction to it, with two lock sliders to keep things intact by holding the pack's top and bottom pieces together. What this does is keep the case's 5,000mAh battery safe from any accidental bumps or from falling out. You may notice that's not the largest capacity on this list, but it should give you a few more hours of battery.

Other noteworthy features include a USB-C cable for charging up the Power Pak, along with four indicator lights to let you spy in on where its charge levels are at any moment. In the end, the Nyko Power Pak's best attributes are its portability and its affordability.

Nyko Power Pak

The perfect slim, lightweight travel companion

Reasons to buy

+
Slim & lightweight
+
USB-C cable
+
Affordably priced

Reasons to avoid

-
5,000mAh is on the smaller side
-
Kickstand

The Nyko Power Pak is the perfect lightweight option for those who fly or hit the road often.

Best Mid-Sized Battery: Mophie Powerstation XXL

Most folks would love to have extra battery power but loathe the idea of having to lug around something bulky in addition to their device. So, having something small enough to slide into your pocket would be the ideal scenario.

We're not going to kid you here, the Mophie Powerstation XXL is a big battery. However, it's smaller than most extended batteries in its category, so it's a great Goldilocks size. It can charge up your Switch, giving it an additional 14 hours of use with its fast charging capabilities. Unfortunately, like many other USB-C battery backups, it'll only prevent your Switch from dying — it won't charge it at the same time.

Mophie Powerstation XXL

Powerful battery backup with less bulk

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful 19,500mAh battery
+
Sleek profile
+
Good size

Reasons to avoid

-
No PD charging

The Powerstation XXL's battery delivers an impressive 14 hours of additional energy to your Switch.

Best Value: Antank Portable Battery

The Antank battery fits its name. Once it's attached to your Switch, it resembles a small armoured truck, but the company claims the 6,500mAh battery weighs as little as a can of soup (12.5 oz), which isn't terrible when compared to others in its category.

Other noteworthy features include high-speed charging, along with a kickstand for use in multiple viewing angles. The battery pack charges your Nintendo Switch while you're playing it at the same time, which is an underrated feature. Many options in this category don't offer it. As a bonus, Antank's portable battery pack holds a storage compartment big enough to store away two game cartridges.

Antank Portable Battery

This portable battery case lives up to its tank moniker

Reasons to buy

+
USB-C port
+
Play and charge
+
Card slots
+
Lightweight
+
Kickstand

Reasons to avoid

-
A bit bulky
-
Not the largest capacity

Play your Switch as it charges and store two game cartridges in Antank's storage compartment.

Bottom line

The whole point of using a battery pack is not just for extra power, but for convenience. With that thought in mind, I feel the clear best choice to get on this list is the S-Charge Switch Battery Case. It may not carry the biggest battery; however, it offers decent power at 10,000mAh and plenty convenience as a pop-on case.

It can charge your Switch while you're playing, and it can store away two game cards. So, there's no need to lug it around in addition to your Nintendo Switch, instead it becomes one with your Switch, which is huge when it comes to traveling. Furthermore, this extended pack also provides additional benefits such as charging your phone or tablet due to its USB port.

Typically, the main thing you should look for in an extended battery for your Nintendo Switch is portability. Like I said, the whole point is gaining extra power without compromising any additional space for when you travel. That's why it's wise to lean toward picking something that attaches to your device verses something you have to carry around along with your Switch and whatever else electronics you may have.

Chuck West