Enhanced Nintendo Switch Model, Here's How To Tell The Difference

The Nintendo Switch is getting a hardware revision in mid-August that gives a significant boost to battery life. However, this isn't a Switch Lite-style revision with a completely new look. The new Nintendo Switch looks exactly like the old one. So if you're looking for that better battery life, how can you tell the difference?

The key is in the packaging, per Nintendo's product site. The original packaging features the system against a white background with a TV on the left side. The packaging for the new system is very similar, but instead shows the system against a red background with a TV on the right side. The revision also has the TV and Nintendo Switch itself shown from a slight angle, rather than a straight-forward shot. You can see the difference below:

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Of course, if you end up purchasing the system used and out of the packaging, you may need to rely on a serial number to tell the difference. The old models start with a serial number "XAW" while the new model will start with the serial number "XKW." You can locate the serial number on the bottom of a Nintendo Switch, on the left side.

The battery life difference is rather large, though. The old system promises a battery life from 2.5-6.5 hours, with more intensive games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild draining the battery much faster and ending on the lower side of that spectrum. The new one boasts 4.5-9 hours.

This news comes shortly after the announcement of the Nintendo Switch Lite. That hardware revision is much more different, and aimed at portable players. It removes the docking ability to connect with a TV and the controllers are no longer detachable. The reduced functionality may impact some games. It also has a budget price: $200 as opposed to the standard Switch's $300.