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

M

MikeE21286

Member
Booker.DeWitt said:
good news about the charger I bought yesterday for only 35 bucks

5.0 out of 5 stars Can charge the Nintendo Switch!, March 7, 2017
By Brian
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Type-C/USB-C Input & Output RAVPower 20100mAh Portable Charger QC 3.0 Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Power Bank External Battery Pack for Macbook, Nexus 6, iPhone and More (Electronics)
This works amazingly! I was able to use it to charge my Nintendo switch while playing it. It kept it at 100% and is able to give alot more extra time while playing Zelda. I am guessing another 6 hours, I know i played for 3-4 hours on it and it was only half way drained ( while keeping the switch at 100%) So woot woot!
Click to expand...

This is exactly the same one I got and the same deal. Comes in the mail today. Great news!
 
H

H13

Member
HandsomeCharles said:
Alright folks, got my powerbank today and it works fine. Here are the details:

Power Bank:RAVPower 26800mAh

USB Cable: Anker PowerLine USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cable

Test details:

I played Zelda on my switch in portable mode and ran the battery down to about 50%. I then plugged it into the power bank using the specified cable, and the Switch began to charge whilst I continued to play Zelda.

Now, as for the negatives:

  • When I plugged the charger in, the Switch did not give me any indication that the unit was charging. This may have just been a quirk/glitch.
  • It charges relatively slowly. About 1% every 3-4 minutes whilst continuing to play Zelda.
  • The wall-charger that comes with the Powerbank has been listed by multiple sources are being a bit dodgy. To be explicit, the Power Bank is fine but the wall charger should not be used.
  • The Powerbank is FUCKING HEAVY. It's probably about the same weight as the switch itself. This is no issue if you have a bag with you, but if you were thinking of carrying it in your pocket that might not be feasible.
  • The Powerbank does not come with a USB C cable. I had to buy one separately. (It does however come with a C-Type adapter, but this obviously won't have the Power Delivery capibility)

That said, the capacity of this thing is huuuuuuge. 26800ma at even a 70% efficiency is still more than 4 times the capacity of the switch itself. If you're going on a long journey this thing is going to keep you going for a hell of a long time. I'm pretty content with it.

I haven't tested any of its USB 2.0 ports using my A-C cable because there hasn't been enough time. If anyone is interested I can do that tomorrow.

Anyway, hope this helps and if anyone has any questions feel free to shout and I'll do some more tests/try stuff out for you.
Click to expand...

edit: just saw the bolded , not enough sleep for me I guess :/
Thanks for the review, getting the same thing later this month :)
 
C

cbrotherson

Member
HandsomeCharles said:
Alright folks, got my powerbank today and it works fine. Here are the details:

Power Bank:RAVPower 26800mAh

USB Cable: Anker PowerLine USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cable

Test details:

I played Zelda on my switch in portable mode and ran the battery down to about 50%. I then plugged it into the power bank using the specified cable, and the Switch began to charge whilst I continued to play Zelda.

Now, as for the negatives:

  • When I plugged the charger in, the Switch did not give me any indication that the unit was charging. This may have just been a quirk/glitch.
  • It charges relatively slowly. About 1% every 3-4 minutes whilst continuing to play Zelda.
  • The wall-charger that comes with the Powerbank has been listed by multiple sources are being a bit dodgy. To be explicit, the Power Bank is fine but the wall charger should not be used.
  • The Powerbank is FUCKING HEAVY. It's probably about the same weight as the switch itself. This is no issue if you have a bag with you, but if you were thinking of carrying it in your pocket that might not be feasible.
  • The Powerbank does not come with a USB C cable. I had to buy one separately. (It does however come with a C-Type adapter, but this obviously won't have the Power Delivery capibility)

That said, the capacity of this thing is huuuuuuge. 26800ma at even a 70% efficiency is still more than 4 times the capacity of the switch itself. If you're going on a long journey this thing is going to keep you going for a hell of a long time. I'm pretty content with it.

I haven't tested any of its USB 2.0 ports using my A-C cable because there hasn't been enough time. If anyone is interested I can do that tomorrow.

Anyway, hope this helps and if anyone has any questions feel free to shout and I'll do some more tests/try stuff out for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I may go for this one then...

Anyone tried or feel this power plug is any good for the Switch?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01FDDE1W6/

It's been advertised as such, but... well, you know.
 
Minsc

Minsc

Gold Member
Zafir said:
Just don't touch their USB-PD power bank.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...x9dMDWqENiY2kgBJUu29f_TX8/edit#gid=1288176877

Cites that they're dangerous. In fact I can't see it being sold on the US/UK Amazon sites so I guess they agreed. Might still be some around though, so just be careful.
Click to expand...

Lots of people have used the RAVPower USB-PD fine (in fact in your second google link, it's the best way to charge the Switch on a power bank), it's the wall wart that's dangerous, and that's for other devices, it's perfectly fine for using with the power bank it comes with.
 
Z

Zafir

Member
Minsc said:
Lots of people have used the RAVPower USB-PD fine (in fact in your second google link, it's the best way to charge the Switch on a power bank), it's the wall wart that's dangerous, and that's for other devices, it's perfectly fine for using with the power bank it comes with.
Click to expand...

He was talking about Anker.

Ravpower isn't available in Singapore apparently.
 
Z

ZeroMaverick

Member
Just realizing that the situation I've been concerned with won't even require a power bank. The Switch can be charged by a MacBook if it's turned off, right?
 
NeOak

NeOak

Member
HandsomeCharles said:
Information about the wall-charger here.

Essentially it seems as though it will allow devices to take more power than it is actually capable of giving. This becomes an issue when dealing with high power consumption devices, but since I don't really know how much power the Switch draws, I think it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, since USB-C devices can all have fairly different power-draws, it just seems much more sensible not to use it with anything at all.
Click to expand...

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1350361

You posted in that thread but you didn't read the OP

Ayyyyy
 
B

BraXzy

Member
mrklaw said:
What specific benefit does USB-PD offer? If faster charging at 15V, how much faster vs 5v/2A?

I have a basic ravpower 21000 which is 5v/2.4A and it slowly charges while playing, and I guess charges faster if sleeping. Which should be good enough unless the PD version is crazy fast
Click to expand...

USB-PD (Power Delivery)
A device that supports USB-PD can request more power from a power source that supports USB-PD as well. This allows a device with greater power demands to pull up to 100W, depending on the power source and the cable.
Click to expand...

If you haven't yet bought a power bank, make sure it has this technology. It charges much faster than regular powerbanks. Quick Charge banks don't work with the Switch, it's only PD compatible for fast charging.

RAVPower are currently the only ones that make use of the technology in their powerbanks which is why they're highly regarded.
 
T

Tailer

Member
Does anyone know if easyacc monster 26000mah work?
And can I buy any kind of USB c-USB a cable? Or is it some specific?
 
D

Dr_LucienSanchez

Banned
SmiteOfHand said:
The Wirecutter has a good breakdown of power over USB, up to and including USB-C and PD. Recommended reading for anyone confused by all this.

http://m.thewirecutter.com/blog/quick-charge-usb-c/
Click to expand...

This is good, thanks. Navigating this whole powerbank/cable situation with the Switch has just proven how big a clusterfuck everything regarding USB-C/QC/PD currently is.

And that's without worrying about how cheaper cables potentially might fry devices.
 
M

mrback

Member
iyox said:
I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019IFIJW8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

And it seems to charge the switch. After I bought it the product page changed the feature text that it's not compatible with the switch. I guess I will probably grab a different model if it's truly not compatible with switch. Thus far it seems to work.
Click to expand...

oh FFS, I wonder why they say it is not compatible amymore. just bought one after reading a few reviews online.....Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
B

Booker.DeWitt

Member
Lexxism said:
It's too bad that the ravpower pd is not available in Canada.
Click to expand...

you don;'t need PD for the switch. Yes, it will charge FASTER, but at a higher cost. if you have a powerbank with USBC port, that is good enough, will just take longer. Even USB A to C will work, but slower than USBC , which is slower than PD.
It is all about your budget.

iyox said:
I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019IFIJW8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

And it seems to charge the switch. After I bought it the product page changed the feature text that it's not compatible with the switch. I guess I will probably grab a different model if it's truly not compatible with switch. Thus far it seems to work.
Click to expand...



I bought the same charger and works just fine, it charges and let me play switch at the same time. The good thing? Cost me $35 bucks. In my case, I prefer paying less more for a feature that I don't really need/mind
 
Minsc

Minsc

Gold Member
I mean it works... it runs on 5V when charging, so I can't imagine there's any reason to worry. They probably just mean it lacks PD-USB or something to charge the Switch at 15V, because multiple people have reported it working fine, even while in use, as expected.
 
L

Lexxism

Member
Booker.DeWitt said:
you don;'t need PD for the switch. Yes, it will charge FASTER, but at a higher cost. if you have a powerbank with USBC port, that is good enough, will just take longer. Even USB A to C will work, but slower than USBC , which is slower than PD.
It is all about your budget.
Click to expand...
I am well aware of that. I just want to buy the best power bank that I can use on my portable devices. I guess I'll just settle with usb-c power bank if it's really not available here.
 
B

Booker.DeWitt

Member
Minsc said:
I mean it works... it runs on 5V when charging, so I can't imagine there's any reason to worry. They probably just mean it lacks PD-USB or something to charge the Switch at 15V, because multiple people have reported it working fine, even while in use, as expected.
Click to expand...

I know, I just wanted to make sure people understand the difference and don't be afraid to buy something cheaper if it fits their budget If you need the switch charged faster, and you have the money, by all means go for the PD.
 
I

iyox

Member
Booker.DeWitt said:
you don;'t need PD for the switch. Yes, it will charge FASTER, but at a higher cost. if you have a powerbank with USBC port, that is good enough, will just take longer. Even USB A to C will work, but slower than USBC , which is slower than PD.
It is all about your budget.





I bought the same charger and works just fine, it charges and let me play switch at the same time. The good thing? Cost me $35 bucks. In my case, I prefer paying less more for a feature that I don't really need/mind
Click to expand...

Agreed. I need it for some cross-country flights every couple months. Not something I will be using daily. The price was right, and I thought it was sufficient for my needs. As a test; I played for several hours with it plugged in and the switch charged fine.
 
S

SmiteOfHand

Member
iyox said:
I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019IFIJW8/?tag=neogaf0e-20

And it seems to charge the switch. After I bought it the product page changed the feature text that it's not compatible with the switch. I guess I will probably grab a different model if it's truly not compatible with switch. Thus far it seems to work.
Click to expand...

Apharmd said:
ffs just bought this two days ago
Click to expand...

My best guess is they are just going the CYA route and not wanting to explain the differences between QC and PD. It should work, and probably provide enough juice to charge and play, will just be slower than PD to charge.

I do wish it was easier to test the power output on these without needing to destroy a cable. If anyone knows of a method let me know as I have a QC plug and am curious what it rates at. I would bet 5V.
 
C

cbrotherson

Member
jrh2 said:
This won't charge the Switch as fast as the included charger. You need to get one with USB PD over USB-C that supports 15V charging modes. AUKEY has one, I can't easily link right now because I'm mobile, but search around and you should find it.
Click to expand...

Nice one, thanks!
 
K

Kevin

Member
Has a general consensus been made regarding what are the best options for high capacity power banks with the Switch?

Currently considering one of the following:

Aukey 30,000
Anker 26,800
RavPower 26,800
 
B

Booker.DeWitt

Member
Kevin said:
Has a general consensus been made regarding what are the best options for high capacity power banks with the Switch?

Currently considering one of the following:

Aukey 30,000
Anker 26,800
RavPower 26,800
Click to expand...

depends on your budget. The best will always be the one with USB C and PD support (charge faster)
 
S

sadromeo

Member
CazTGG said:
Got two power banks today that i'll be testing to see how fast they charge the Switch:

Aukey 30,000 Power Bank (Boasts USB-C port)
Aukey 20,000 Solar Bank (No USB-C port but the 30K module came with an USB-A/USB-C cable I can use to charge it)
Click to expand...

I have the Aukey 30000 mah power bank.

Here are some results I have using it:

USB-c port (using Aukey USB-c to USB-c) and Internal Switch battery drained to 50%

While playing Zelda, the powerbank charged the internal Switch battery about 10% per hour.

While in non-use, the powerbank charged the internal Switch battery about 32% per hour.

These could probably change slightly depending on the usb-c to usb-c cable you are using but these are the results I have.

I also purchased the 20100 mah 30w Ravpower (that uses PD) that I will test on Thursday.
 
C

CrashPrime

Member
Debating on the Aukey 30000mAh and the RAVpower 20100mAh.

I feel like 20k is plenty and its only $36 so like $15 cheaper than the Aukey. I really doubt I will need more than 7+ hours away from a AC outlet.
 
S

spekkeh

Banned
I have a 16000mAh power bank from Xiaomi, got it for about €30.

Can confirm that it works. I hooked the Switch up with a USB A to C cable I got with my BeO Play A1, so probably not a very good cable, and after playing Zelda for ten minutes, the charge eked up by 1 %. So it's not good enough to really charge it while playing, but it should extend the total play time to about 12 hours.
 
S

sadromeo

Member
There are two RavPower 20100 chargers on Amazon I saw.

One has a USB-C output that powers up to 5v/3a that is cheaper than the Aukey 30000mah.

However, there is another RavPower 20100 charger that is 30W on the USB-c port that outputs 15v/2a and supposedly is PD like the 26800. It is more expensive than the Aukey 30000mah. This is the one I bought.

This was based off the google doc spreadsheet that was posted.

I just received the RavPower charger today and I am going to be testing it against the Aukey 30000mah.
 
S

SpacePirate Ridley

Member
I still dont have the switch till sunday or monday, but I have an EasyAcc 20000 powerbank that has worked really well with my samsung galaxy 6 and even my vita and 3ds.
So I hope it also works well with the Switch.
EDIT Fuck, it has to USB-C ports but are for charging the device itself. I suppose it will work if I buy a cable from USB-C to USB no?
 
C

CazTGG

Member
An update on the Aukey 20,000 Solar Bank: When playing Breath of the Wild with the battery at 46%, the bank would charge at roughly 3-5% per hour. After six hours, the battery ended up at 79%.
 
A

Appleman

Member
REALLY badly want this but with USB-C instead. Might see whether it'll charge (even slowly) as is. Hate having to carry a power brick just to charge up a portable battery, this would replace all the bricks in my bag AND charge the switch a full charge.

41UcFzMlFYL.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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