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Powerbanks (at least those with USB-C) work with Nintendo Switch

O

OmegaFax

Member
I played around with directly connecting my Nexus 5X to my Switch and taking a look at how much power the Switch AC adapter draws. I'm using Ampere (Google Play app) so not that scientific. Just wanted to see what my device reports and how much power it tries to draw in different cases.

When I hooked my Nexus 5X directly to the Nintendo provided adapter. It reported 1500mA USB current available @ 5V but couldn't get an accurate reading on how much it drew. "Charging"

The stock Nexus 5X adapter is a 5V/3A adapter and reports 3000mA current available. 1100mA draw when the screen was on. "Charging Rapidly" when the screen is locked.

When I connected my Nexus 5X to my Switch in order to use it as a Power Bank. Depending on which device you plug in first, the second will draw power from the first.

If I plug one end of a USB Type-C cable to my Switch and then plug in my Nexus 5X to the other end, the N5X will draw power from the Switch unless I change the setting on my phone.

N5X seems to go into USB Power Delivery mode if it's hooked up first. It won't sustain the Switch's battery if Breath of the Wild is running. It will slowly drain despite saying it's charged.

I got really odd results. It does charge the Switch if the screen is off. If the N5X draws about 500-700mA of power when it's on (depending on background processes, whether I put airplane or battery saver mode on ... tried different setups)

Usage spikes to about a 1500mA draw when the Switch's battery is less than 100% before it's plugged in but goes to 500-700mA after. It also seems to be the case if the phone doesn't default to Power Delivery.

Charging it from 90%-95% took about a 20-25 minutes.

tl;dr don't expect your phone (or specifically Nexus5X) to act as an emergency 2800mAh power source if you're away from an outlet to long.
 
G

Glix

Member
VPhys said:
I just came back from a round trip 13 hour flight with the switch. One thing I can confirm is the macbook USB-C cable is AMAZING at charging the switch combined with the RAV. It definitely makes a huge difference over using a USB-A to C cable. For the record I used a Pecham cable that is no longer available

What's even more impressive than how fast it charges with a battery pack, is how fast it charges with the 85W USB-C macbook charger. Obvisouly a wall charger is not the most portable solution but if a macbook (or equivalent USB-C notebook) is part of your stack I'd strongly advise you bring along that charger if space allows. It really charges the switch amazingly fast which makes sense as those chargers are designed for devices with even bigger batteries.

On a side note. On the plane I had the exit row and the pull out tray table that attaches to the side of your seat definitely comes in the way if you want to play with the controller separately. I didn't get a chance to test it with a conventional seat but I assume it would be easier to set the switch down on a table and use a conventional controller the tray folds down in front of you.
Click to expand...

How fast is "amazingly fast"?

Ballpark is fine
 
S

Strafebogey

Member
Aztechnology said:
Hey guys my powerbank came today. I got the

PD USB Type C Portable Charger RAVPower 26800mAh that was recommended. Fits in my case great and it works well for my phone. With the Switch however, using the C to C connection it doesn't say it's charging. I know it is becauss it went up ever so slightly while playing Zelda. But clearly it's not utilizing it's full capability. Anyone had this problem? Am I doing something wrong.

Also can I use the wall wart that came with this bank to charge my switch on the road?
Click to expand...

Read on Reddit, that seems to be the case. I had the same problem with the old Aukey powerbank I had, it's charging but it's not indicating on the Switch. Had to constantly press and hold the Home button to check up on the percentage level.

The wall wart, based on what was posted in the Benson/Nathan spreadsheet, advertised itself incorrectly as a 45W charger, when it is capable of 30W. Marked as "not recommended" by them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/57l78u/psa_benson_and_i_found_the_ravpower_rppc018_30w/

https://plus.google.com/102612254593917101378/posts/HdH2cf6Nzyj

Check if your charger models are mentioned in that link.

I've been using the Xiaomi QB820 powerbank charging with the Anker PowerPort+ 5, rated at 30W with fast USB-PD charging via USB-C. Both the Anker wall charger and the Xiaomi powerbank supports USB-PD via USB-C, the Anker fast-charges the Xiaomi powerbank via USB-PD, and both fast-charges the Switch as well. Perfect combo.
 
S

Strafebogey

Member
Got the numbers I needed.

z4yBrVfl.jpg

Components used: Official Nintendo AC adapter, Anker PowerPort+ 5 with USB-PD wall charger, Xiaomi ZMI QB820 powerbank with USB-PD, Aukey 30,000mAh powerbank with standard and Qualcomm Quickcharge 3.0, Apple 2M USB-C-to-USB-C Benson-approved cable, USB-Cto-USB-C power meter.

The condition:

Zelda BOTW, max brightness, max volume, WiFi on.

The figures:

Charging the Nintendo Switch using:

1. Official Nintendo AC adapter: 15V 1.25A
2. Xiaomi QB820 powerbank via USB-C PD: 15V 1.0-1.2A
3. Xiaomi QB820 powerbank via USB-A: 5V 1.5A
4. Aukey 30,000mAh powerbank via USB A (non-QuickCharge): 5V 1.5A
5. Aukey 30,000mAh powerbank via USB A (QuickCharge): 5V 1.5A
6. Anker PowerPort+ 5 via USB-C PD: 15V 1.25A *Rechecked: charge rate is 15V 1.25A, drops to 15V 0.5A once it crosses around the 75-80% battery percentage of the Switch, to stop overcharging.*
7. Anker PowerPort+ 5 via USB-A: 5V 1.5A

Bonus figures:
Anker PowerPort+ 5 charging Xiaomi QB820 powerbank: 15V 2.5A
Official Nintendo AC adapter charging Xiaomi QB820 powerbank: 15V 2.6A

The best combo for charging are the official Nintendo AC charger, the Anker PowerPort+ 5 and the Xiaomi QB820. Other than getting powerbanks or outdoor camping power cells and off-the-grid equipment like the Omnicharge Omni or the RAVPower 20,100 mAh 65W with AC outlets built into them, these three chargers are all I need at home and outside.

Also from those figures, QuickCharge or any other formats of fast-charging other than USB-PD does not charge the Switch any faster than your standard USB-A charger, they are not supported.
 
S

Skelter

Banned
I currently have this power bank. My Switch is coming Tuesday. I'm looking to buy another power bank because my girl friend also wants one for her Switch since she works nights and has lots of down time.

Question, should I buy the same power bank again or the Aukey 30000? I don't know really know how to read the information for them so if someone could tell me which is best for a Switch for someone who has a long commute in NYC, which means I'm on a train, in college from 9 am to 9pm 3 days a week, and works the other days?
 
J

japtor

Member
Skelter said:
I currently have this power bank. My Switch is coming Tuesday. I'm looking to buy another power bank because my girl friend also wants one for her Switch since she works nights and has lots of down time.

Question, should I buy the same power bank again or the Aukey 30000? I don't know really know how to read the information for them so if someone could tell me which is best for a Switch for someone who has a long commute in NYC, which means I'm on a train, in college from 9 am to 9pm 3 days a week, and works the other days?
Click to expand...
On quick glance, basically in theory that Aukey one has about 50% more capacity and looks a bit chunkier as a result, Anker is 6.5x2.3x0.9 vs 5.9x3.3x1.1 for the Aukey.
 
S

Skelter

Banned
japtor said:
On quick glance, basically in theory that Aukey one has about 50% more capacity and looks a bit chunkier as a result, Anker is 6.5x2.3x0.9 vs 5.9x3.3x1.1 for the Aukey.
Click to expand...

Size and weight don't matter to me. I do like the extra capacity though however, the City Slicker case from Waterfield can hold the Ankey powerbank.

It really comes down to which is better for charging the Switch when outside. Apparently the Aukey can do 8% an hour. Not sure about the Anker.
 
C

CazTGG

Member
Skelter said:
I currently have this power bank. My Switch is coming Tuesday. I'm looking to buy another power bank because my girl friend also wants one for her Switch since she works nights and has lots of down time.

Question, should I buy the same power bank again or the Aukey 30000? I don't know really know how to read the information for them so if someone could tell me which is best for a Switch for someone who has a long commute in NYC, which means I'm on a train, in college from 9 am to 9pm 3 days a week, and works the other days?
Click to expand...

If they're looking at a long daily commute, you'll want to have a power bank with a larger capacity (ideally 20K or higher), thus the Aukey 30K would be preferable. That being said, you should be able to suffice for a given day on the RavPower bank assuming you don't keep the Switch on maximum brightness settings. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you feel said commute is long enough to justify carrying around a fairly chunky power bank (I have that Aukey bank and can state for a fact that it is hefty) to give you an extra 4-6 hours per day, assuming it's fully charged. If you're going to be outside a fair amount of time and have a USB-A to C cable, i'd consider Aukey's 20K solar charger which, while not being able to charge your Switch on sun alone, will give you an extra bit of juice on a bright day if needed.
 
H

hirokazu

Member
Strafebogey said:
Got the numbers I needed.

z4yBrVfl.jpg

Components used: Official Nintendo AC adapter, Anker PowerPort+ 5 with USB-PD wall charger, Xiaomi ZMI QB820 powerbank with USB-PD, Aukey 30,000mAh powerbank with standard and Qualcomm Quickcharge 3.0, Apple 2M USB-C-to-USB-C Benson-approved cable, USB-Cto-USB-C power meter.

The condition:

Zelda BOTW, max brightness, max volume, WiFi on.

The figures:

Charging the Nintendo Switch using:

1. Official Nintendo AC adapter: 15V 1.25A
2. Xiaomi QB820 powerbank via USB-C PD: 15V 1.0A
3. Xiaomi QB820 powerbank via USB-A: 5V 1.5A
4. Aukey 30,000mAh powerbank via USB A (non-QuickCharge): 5V 1.5A
5. Aukey 30,000mAh powerbank via USB A (QuickCharge): 5V 1.5A
6. Anker PowerPort+ 5 via USB-C PD: 15V 0.5A *SLOWER than QB820 powerbank!*
7. Anker PowerPort+ 5 via USB-A: 5V 1.5A

Bonus figures:
Anker PowerPort+ 5 charging Xiaomi QB820 powerbank: 15V 2.5A
Official Nintendo AC adapter charging Xiaomi QB820 powerbank: 15V 2.6A

The best combo for charging are the official Nintendo AC charger, the Anker PowerPort+ 5 and the Xiaomi QB820. Other than getting powerbanks or outdoor camping power cells and off-the-grid equipment like the Omnicharge Omni or the RAVPower 20,100 mAh 65W with AC outlets built into them, these three chargers are all I need at home and outside.

Also from those figures, QuickCharge or any other formats of fast-charging other than USB-PD does not charge the Switch any faster than your standard USB-A charger, they are not supported.
Click to expand...
Only 1.5A at 5V? Most power banks can output more than that.
 
M

Maxrunner

Member
So what are the popular options for power banks for the switch?

Tried to find that Lumsing Q2 Pro 15000mah but they do not ship to Portugal.
 
T

Takat

Member
I took a 10 hour flight with Ravpower, and it basically kept my Switch alive the whole time and then some. Great thing.
 
G

gundalf

Member
Great news! I just got my USB-C cable and my power bank is even powerful enough to charge the Switch while playing (albeit not much, but this wasn't my requirement).

Game: Zelda
Airplane Mode
75% brightness
Playtime: 30min
Charged: +7%
 
U

UserDoesNotExist

Member
I spend a fair amount of time in airports, so I'm looking for a power bank for travel. I'd like something that
* Won't make my Switch explode,
* Can be taken on planes,
* Charges in both the US and EU (normally not a big deal, but fast charge seems to have changed all the rules,)
* can also charge my Nexus 6p (I'll probably upgrade to a Pixel soon, though), and
* has a high mAh rating.
I'm willing to spend a bit more, and size doesn't overly matter to me since I'm not planning on carrying the power bank around daily.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
T

Thraktor

Member
japtor said:
Apparently the Switch isn't compliant so I might be wary about using it with USB-C/PD stuff.

https://plus.google.com/collection/cleFmB
(Scroll down for the various Switch entries)
Click to expand...

That's a shame. Reading over it, it seems like the main issues are with the dock, and the principal issue with the Switch itself (overdrawing after negotiating 0.5A) can be fixed with a firmware update. Hopefully they get a firmware update out soon and fix the dock issues for newer production runs.

Interesting trivia: As previously speculated, Nintendo have actually created a proprietary "Nintendo AltMode" for USB-C to communicate with the dock. It's likely just a DRM wrapper for the DisplayPort altmode, but it's a little interesting nonetheless.
 
J

japtor

Member
UserDoesNotExist said:
I spend a fair amount of time in airports, so I'm looking for a power bank for travel. I'd like something that
* Won't make my Switch explode,
* Can be taken on planes,
* Charges in both the US and EU (normally not a big deal, but fast charge seems to have changed all the rules,)
* can also charge my Nexus 6p (I'll probably upgrade to a Pixel soon, though), and
* has a high mAh rating.
I'm willing to spend a bit more, and size doesn't overly matter to me since I'm not planning on carrying the power bank around daily.

Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Any 2.4A USB-A one (with A-C cables) should be fine really, with multi port ones you might see some different amperages on different ports btw. USB-C is still a bit of an adventure unfortunately (...although personally I've been looking into batteries with it so I don't have to use micro USB to charge the battery itself). Whatever big ass Anker one is probably the simplest bet, they have a USB-C option or two if you want that, although due to the stuff I linked above I'd be a bit wary about using that port for the Switch.

International charging the battery itself is another question, but there's lots of multi port chargers these days and it shouldn't be too hard to find world capable ones. Like this 6 port Anker one is 100-240, just need a plug adapter (or different cable) to plug into EU.
Thraktor said:
That's a shame. Reading over it, it seems like the main issues are with the dock, and the principal issue with the Switch itself (overdrawing after negotiating 0.5A) can be fixed with a firmware update. Hopefully they get a firmware update out soon and fix the dock issues for newer production runs.

Interesting trivia: As previously speculated, Nintendo have actually created a proprietary "Nintendo AltMode" for USB-C to communicate with the dock. It's likely just a DRM wrapper for the DisplayPort altmode, but it's a little interesting nonetheless.
Click to expand...
There was some Chinese adapter recently, it looked like it advertised also working on computers as well as the Switch, so yeah probably some little handshake/wrapper trick around regular DP alt mode.
 
W

wilflare

Member
Strafebogey said:
This is the powerbank I received today, that I reckon after research and info-gathering for the past two weeks, closely matches my need of "quick-charging my Switch at maximum brightness maximum volume while playing Zelda BOTW", rather than either "maintaining charge while playing Zelda at maximum brightness maximum volume" or "trickle charging the Switch while playing Zelda BOTW at maximum brightness maximum volume". While it's entire possible to charge the Switch using commonly available standards 5V 2.4A powerbanks adequately while in sleep mode, my routine dictates that I need the Switch charging while playing, I have this horrible habit of playing games for long hours without much pause or stopping. This habit requires a portable charger fast enough to fill the Switch battery to counter the battery drain while playing graphically intensive games like Zelda BOTW and Fast RMX.

The Xiaomi ZMI QB820. https://xiaomi-mi.com/news-and-actions/in-t...vyweight-champ/

in-the-footsteps-of-xiaomi-zmi-comes-out-with-a-heavyweight-champ-001.jpg


This powerbank supports USB-PD Profile 2.0, with rapid charge capability on varying charging profiles of 5V 2.4A, 9V 2A 12V 1.5 А on its two USB-Type A ports, and a slew of USB-PD charging profiles. The powerbank also works as a USB hub, you can connect USB devices on its USB-Type A ports, shown below working as a USB hub connecting the laptop to a mouse and thumb drive, while charging the same laptop it is connected to via its USB-C PD port.

in-the-footsteps-of-xiaomi-zmi-comes-out-with-a-heavyweight-champ-003.jpg


But since we're interested with how this performs charging-wise with the Switch, we need to take a look at its USB-PD charging capabilities. This analysis is done rather in depth by MyDrivers.com website here, you need to plug that into Google Translate to get a translation of the article. The USB-PD charging profiles we're interested in are:

5V 3A, 9V 3A, 12V 3A, 15V 2.6A which incidentally is what the official Nintendo AC adapter charges your Switch while docked!, 20V 2A which is what you reportedly can trickle-charge a 2016 MacBook Pro (No Touchbar) via USB-C in a pinch.

And now, my charging results. Bear in mind, these are totally unscientific, it's based on how fast I can charge the Switch via the USB-C PD port compared to charging it via the USB-A port delivering a 5V 2.4A charge.

Here are the ingredients:

XDzICnwl.jpg


The Xiaomi ZMI QB820 powerbank, the Nexus 6P, the USB-C to USB-C Apple cable approved by Benson Leung and Nathan K (model number MLL82AM/A (A1739), and the Switch itself.

What I did was discharge the Switch's internal battery, by connecting it to the Nexus 6P. The Switch now acts as a battery for the Nexus, with this notification coming up on the Nexus 6P.

C2qB8Mnl.jpg


The Switch was fresh out of the dock, at 100%. Drained its battery to 90%, but as I unplugged the Nexus 6P away from the Switch, the percentage drops to 89%, so I took it as 11% for the calculation later.

I then ran this scene in Zelda BOTW, with grass billowing in the wind, and Link's constantly beeping health warning and ambient music in the background. The display was set at maximum brightness and audio cranked up to maximum volume as well.

j2cbBMel.jpg


The Switch is then plugged into the USB-C PD port on the ZMI QB820 powerbank, and I started the timer on the Nexus 6P to measure the time it takes for the the powerbank to charge the Switch in this condition (max brightness, max volume, graphics intensive scene in Zelda BOTW with constant health warning beeping and ambient background music) to charge to 100% back again. It completed the full charge at 22 minutes 43 seconds. 11% for 22 minutes, that's roughly 1% every 2 minutes.

From the article posted during the early days of Switch release and powerbank tests done with USB-A ports on regular powerbanks, it was stated that standard 5V 3A powerbank used in this article by ArsTechnica only able to trickle-charge 1% every 6 minutes under unknown play condition (volume and/or brightness at what level, playing what game, and at which section of that game in?). This already beats expectation, but I had to do my own digging to be sure, so I tested it again, draining it again to 89% (for parity), and this time, charging it via the the QB820's 5V 2.4A USB-A port. After the same time (22 minutes 43 seconds) have elapsed, it barely able to charge the Switch up to 91% from its previous 89%, a.k.a 2% within that span of 22 minutes.

Charging the Switch via third party USB-PD device has one quirk. You NEED to turn off your Switch, plug in your USB-C cable to the Switch, turn on your powerbank/external wall charger, before the Switch can negotiate a higher charging draw from the device that is charging it. I had previously plugged the Switch to the QB820 powerbank and the Tronsmart U5P USB-PD wall charger, and I did not get any "charging notification" at all and the Switch eventually slowly drains. I suspect the Switch did not recognise the USB-PD device that is attempting to charge it, and as such, only releases the safest charging profile available (I reckon it's 5V 0.9A charge profile, the default USB3.0 charge via PC USB port), which is too low to be recognised as a charge or fail to charge completely.

These are the chain of devices that I currently have to make my Switch-playing time uninterruptible. Or, you can just carry the official Nintendo AC adapter with you and be done with. :p

mki9Z8Ul.jpg

dNsSBmtl.jpg

111ZxXvl.jpg

6kiEw6Xl.jpg


The QB820, despite it carrying the Xiaomi's name usually associated with being "affordable or cheap", feels the opposite of that. The outer shell is cold to the touch, confirming its metal encapsulating outer shell construction. Has 4 dots on the side to denote charge level left. And with the USB-PD Tronsmart U5P wall charger, I'm charging it rapidly as well. 20,000mAh in the size of a Nexus 6P. The only way this powerbank can be any more perfect is with more charge capacity. The powerbank itself doubles as a USB Hub when connected via USB-C, I don't know what other powerbank with USB-PD capable of charging a low power laptop that can do that!

Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any blown Switches or any bodily harm that happens should you choose to emulate my setup here. I wish someone more knowledgable than me, like Benson Leung or Nathan K can verify this setup as safe to use.
Click to expand...

been thinking of getting this. how's the weight?
and does it actually support QC2.0/3.0?
 
W

wilflare

Member
Strafebogey said:
Read on Reddit, that seems to be the case. I had the same problem with the old Aukey powerbank I had, it's charging but it's not indicating on the Switch. Had to constantly press and hold the Home button to check up on the percentage level.

The wall wart, based on what was posted in the Benson/Nathan spreadsheet, advertised itself incorrectly as a 45W charger, when it is capable of 30W. Marked as "not recommended" by them.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/57l78u/psa_benson_and_i_found_the_ravpower_rppc018_30w/

https://plus.google.com/102612254593917101378/posts/HdH2cf6Nzyj

Check if your charger models are mentioned in that link.

I've been using the Xiaomi QB820 powerbank charging with the Anker PowerPort+ 5, rated at 30W with fast USB-PD charging via USB-C. Both the Anker wall charger and the Xiaomi powerbank supports USB-PD via USB-C, the Anker fast-charges the Xiaomi powerbank via USB-PD, and both fast-charges the Switch as well. Perfect combo.
Click to expand...

how long does the PowerPort+ 5 take to charge the OB820? is it 3.8hours (45W)?
 
J

japtor

Member
I got a Jackery Titan S recently along with a USB-A power tester, but no C-C cables (or tester) for now. I noticed the Switch seemed to only pull 1.5A on everything I had (vs the expected 2A), which led me to these articles:

https://medium.com/@clumsycontraria...harging-nintendos-latest-console-8e11826eb309
https://medium.com/@clumsycontraria/how-to-choose-your-nintendo-switch-charger-d0ebd84afdf9

Short version is that over USB-A the Switch seems to limit its draw to 1.5A (with very few exceptions, or with non compliant cables), which isn't enough to fully cover the max power draw (seen so far at least, about 2A)...but since games don't push that all the time it might be ok for the most part. Like within Zelda there's enough variation in power draw that it's on the edge of charging or draining depending where you are in the game.

Not a big enough deal for me to rush out and get a C-C cable, but perhaps something to keep in mind if you plan to play super long periods and deciding whether to bother with a battery with a C port. Course the main reason I got mine was cause I didn't want to charge the battery itself with micro USB, hate that damn port with a passion.
 
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