Prolonging Nintendo 3DS Battery Life: 5 Things You Need To Know

With the Nintendo 3DS available worldwide, a lot of owners are disappointed by the battery life of the handheld. From the DS’s 6-8 hours of playtime before the charge completely runs out, the newly released 3DS has an expected battery life of 3-5 hours.

For those who are complaining, there are several ways to conserve the battery of the Nintendo 3DS. Different factors affect the 3DS’s power consumption, and being aware of them can help prolong battery life.

Today, we will discuss some of the tips on how to conserve your battery and reach about six hours of playtime before the battery can completely run out.

1. The 3DS Slider Adjustment
While the ability to make the 3DS game perform a 3D image is cool, it consumes a lot of battery power when it’s at max settings. To save 10% of the 3-5 hour lifespan of the Nintendo 3DS’ battery, putting the 3D slider on a low level or turning it off completely will help. As of right now, there are a few games out there that don’t fully utilize the 3D capabilities of the handheld, like Lego: Star Wars. With these games in particular, you won’t miss much by turning off the 3D setting, and you’ll gain a decent amount of battery life.

2. Brightness Screen Adjustment
If you are playing in a dark/dimmed environment, adjusting the brightness of the screen to Level 1 will save a lot of the handheld’s battery. The backlight of the Nintendo 3DS is uses a lot of juice when playing. Its brightness depends on the level of light that you have. If you are in an environment where there is a bright light, like outside in the sun, turning it to at least level 4 will work best. For those who only play inside the house, turning the brightness adjustment level from 1-3 would work best. Don’t forget that the handheld also has a Power Saving mode that you can turn on.

3. Turn Wireless Off
Players who doesn’t have Wifi at home should definitely turn off the Wireless option on the Nintendo 3DS. The majority of the launch games for the Nintendo 3DS have no online support, so turning off the wireless when playing is ideal. The only times that we recommend turning on the wireless is when a 3DS firmware update is available, you’re outside and you want to use the Street Pass / Spot Pass feature, or you’re playing a local game with a friend. If those three things do not apply to you, simply turn off the wireless.

Nintendo 3DS Battery Picture, courtesy of iFixit

4. Use Headphones if Possible
The Nintendo 3DS speaker is weak and it’s hard to hear it when you’re outside. Another way to conserve the battery of the Nintendo 3DS is to use headphones. Using the speaker of the 3DS drains more power than using an external source for audio, so always keep headphones ready!

5. Always Use the Charge Cradle
When you are at home, always make use of the charge cradle that is included with your Nintendo 3DS. The battery of the Nintendo 3DS is designed to be charged frequently. Don’t worry if you’ve only used the handheld for an hour or two. Nintendo suggests that you always put the handheld into the cradle when not in use. That way it’s always at full charge whenever you want to play!