TheNintendo SwitchJoy-Cons slowly drain battery when they’re not in use, but there’s a solution. If left uncharged, the Joy-Cons will eventually lose battery life and, even worse, become completely unusable due to battery bloat over time. That’s because of one feature of the Switch, which makes it crucial for the Joy-Cons to always be on, even when users think they’re powered down.
In a YouTube video,VK’s Channelexplains that Joy-Cons are never completely off, even when they’re disconnected from the console. Instead, they exist in a perpetual state of standby. This is necessary due to a search function in the Switch, which can be used to activate the controllers and “wake them up” with a buzz so they can be found in case they’re lost.
The controllers remain in standby even if they’ve been unpaired from the console. As a result, the Joy-Cons are forever draining power when they’re not in use, which will eventually render them unusable or lead to hazardous bloated batteries.
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How To Turn Switch Joy-Cons Off And Prevent Battery Drain
A Special Program Is Needed
Luckily, there’s a way to turn the Joy-Cons completely off. When the controllers first arrive in a new owner’s home, they are in a deep sleep state to prevent the batteries from draining before the console is purchased. VK’s Channel has found a way to return them to this state and completely shut them down again. The Joy-Con Turn Off program onGithubis a free program created by Sopsy in 2021. Its sole purpose is to power down the Joy-Cons to their original deep sleep state. To do this, all Switch owners have to pair their JoyCons to their computers and run the program.
Nintendo released theSwitch 2 Joy-Con controllers strangely latein the Switch’s lifespan.
Some YouTube comments point out that all battery-powered technology will drain when it’s not in use. This applies to rechargeable tech, too, and is true even when it’s completely shut off. Other users suggest that the Joy-Cons (and other controllers and battery-powered consoles like the Nintendo 3DS) should be charged once in a while, even if they’re not in use.
This information is especially useful forNintendo Switchowners who like to switch out their Joy-Cons for different designs and colors. The drawback is that Joy-Cons will turn back on if they’re paired with a Switch console again. Nintendo has recently revealed a Joy-Con charging station, but users who want to keep their controllers in the deep sleep state will have to use a third-party charging device, instead.
