Ever since the handheld was introduced, Nintendo has always made the autonomy of their portable consoles their central concern during the development. The 3DS may however be their first handheld for which they neglected this aspect. Indeed, with all the features activated, including the maximum brightness, maximum 3D enabled, and Wi-Fi activates, a fully charged battery only lasts for three hours.
What you need to know about the autonomy
As most of us already know, the more a device makes use of the different resources and capabilities it has, the more energy it consumes. Compared to these three hours, a Nintendo DS (tank, lite, XL or i) can easily last 6 hours on a used battery and can easily last up to 8 hours on a new battery.
Thus, it makes sense that playing DS games on a 3DS allows a better autonomy. Indeed, according to initial tests on new and fully charged 3DS consoles, playing a DS game on a 3DS, with full brightness, Wi-Fi enabled, and its mid- volume, allows it to last up to 5 hours without being discharged. Additionally, turning off the 3D, the Wi-Fi and reducing the brightness also means a longer autonomy.
( Photo of the battery found in the Nintendo 3DS )
Guidelines For Taking Care Of The Nintendo 3DS Battery :
There are guideline to follow avoid a premature fatigue of the Li-Ion battery of the 3DS:
- Never discharge the battery. Contrary to what most people believe, waiting for a battery to be completely discharged does not allow it to last longer. Start charging the 3DS when it is around 10-20% of its capacity. In contrast, charging it too often will also reduce the life of the battery.
- Do not keep the battery full for an extended time. Indeed, if you plan to store the console without playing it for more than three weeks, do not store with the battery fully charged, but at about 40% of its capacity.
- Keep your battery cool. If you allow the console, and thus the battery, to overheat, the autonomy will be greatly affected.
- Try to avoid leaving the console in sleep mode for an extended time.
- Be sure to repair or replace the charger if you notice some malfunction.
