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Could The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Grip Also Be A Portable Battery Pack?

Jasper

Member
Joy-Con-grip-500-wide.png


Has anyone considered the possibility that the Joy-Con Grip could act as a PORTABLE BATTERY PACK?

Note there are LED lights within the Joy-Con Grip, thus it's clearly not just a piece of useless plastic - but instead something containing an electrical component/s.

I'm assuming the Joy-Con Grip may have a USB port, allowing for it to be connected to the Nintendo Switch dock (with the dock acting as a charging source).

Then simply chuck the fully charged Joy-Con Grip into your bag when you're out and about and intend to play the Switch in portable mode for longer than 3 hours (which is how long rumors suggest the Nintendo Switch lasts in portable mode).

When the Nintendo Switch is out of battery, link it up to the Joy-Con Grip to allow for recharging.

Who knows, maybe it's even an adaptive fast charger allowing for the Nintendo Switch to be fully charged and ready for play in 30 minutes or so?

Thoughts?
 

Dio

Banned
These days it seems like every smartphone owner has a big-ass battery pack for their phone. I saw a ton of people with battery packs out on the streets for Pokemon Go - if it's possible to use those with the Nintendo Switch, that would be real nice.

If that is one, it doesn't look particularly powerful.
 

Lionheart

Member
Seeing as the individual joy cons also have a battery each, that means the controller in that situation would contain three batteries? Nah I'd think the power comes from the joy cons.
 
Little OT, and likely not on the cards, but I really liked this idea:

8kl7t8nkxssx.png


Can fairly easily buy a 10,000mAH battery (Ipad Pro and Surface Pro are about 6000mAH, so Switch is likely <5000mAH) for $20.
 

mugwhump

Member
It's not impossible, but the switch is already coming with 3 rechargeable batteries. You really think they'll add a fourth? And one that could charge the main unit wouldn't be that cheap.
 

Jasper

Member
I just see it as a very intuitive way for Nintendo to still be able to market the Switch as a truly portable gaming system (3 hours of battery life doesn't cut it...they would be ripped to shreds by both the media and the masses if the 3 hour battery life rumor is true).

Furthermore I assume the Joy-Con Grip will come in every box, thus customers are not forced to spend more money to be able to take advantage of enjoying the Nintendo Switch in portable mode with a handy battery life extension option for prolonged handheld gaming.
 

C-Drive

Member
I wouldn't expect the grip to have it's own battery but I do hope it can be used as a USB charger for the attached joycons.

I hope it does as well, but if Nintendo is planning the shell as a pack in with the system, I don't see it being there. If it's a separate purchase I could see charging capabilities.
 
Really hoping the NS comes with standard USB and not some proprietary bullshit.
The Wii U Pro Controller came with a simple mini USB port to for charging it.
Nintendo really should have no reason to go back from that. I can even see then change it to a micro USB port instead, which would be more convenient since every smartphone that's not Apple branded uses those for charging too.
 

Oxirane

Member
I think the eventual solutions will be either a cable to an external battery pack or an extended battery (from Nintendo or some 3rd party franken-battery that clips to the docking connectors somehow).

Also, light-pipe sounds weird to me, I guess I'm just used to waveguide.
 

Boss Man

Member
Little OT, and likely not on the cards, but I really liked this idea:

8kl7t8nkxssx.png


Can fairly easily buy a 10,000mAH battery (about 1.5x Ipad Pro charge) for $20.
That's a good idea. They could even add an AC plug on the back and make the screen about 60 inches.
 

skasaha

Neo Member
Little OT, and likely not on the cards, but I really liked this idea:

8kl7t8nkxssx.png


Can fairly easily buy a 10,000mAH battery (Ipad Pro and Surface Pro are about 6000mAH, so Switch is likely <5000mAH) for $20.

they need to do this!! it'd be seamless too, no reboot required. although it'd be funny to see people lugging around multiple batteries to swap as required.
 

oti

Banned
Little OT, and likely not on the cards, but I really liked this idea:

8kl7t8nkxssx.png


Can fairly easily buy a 10,000mAH battery (Ipad Pro and Surface Pro are about 6000mAH, so Switch is likely <5000mAH) for $20.

Couldn't those just be regular controllers and batteries though? How much power would the Joy-Con need while in use anyway?
 

NeoRausch

Member
Really hoping the NS comes with standard USB and not some proprietary bullshit.
That's the big part.
If they have their strange own plug (WiiU/DS/3DS) they fucked up.
Or at least pack in a small a adapter. You probably wanna charge that thing a lot of times not even remotely close to the dock.
 

deleted

Member
This would put the amount of Batteries to 4 if the grip makes it into the console package.

I find it very unlikely, at least cost wise. Maybe there are 3rd party devises that function in the same way.
I could however see the controller as a NFC port. There is enough room, to use an Amiibo with it and the controllers could provide the little bit of power used for a NFC reader.
 

Asd202

Member
Little OT, and likely not on the cards, but I really liked this idea:

8kl7t8nkxssx.png


Can fairly easily buy a 10,000mAH battery (Ipad Pro and Surface Pro are about 6000mAH, so Switch is likely <5000mAH) for $20.

I really have a hard time figuring out why you would want to play like this. Seems like a nightmare comfort wise.
 

Krooner

Member
Same. NFC right under that logo.

Although that does make me wonder where the sensor is if you're using it on the go? Can it be behind the screen? Bezels seem a bit narrow

I'm supposing it'll be on the back. I don't imagine the chip is that big? And it's usually behind the screen on mobile, so it's doable, and there's a precedent set.

But a battery for the controller, the wireless comm chip and the nfc are all I think is in that panel on the controller.
 

Krooner

Member
This would put the amount of Batteries to 4 if the grip makes it into the console package.

I find it very unlikely, at least cost wise. Maybe there are 3rd party devises that function in the same way.
I could however see the controller as a NFC port. There is enough room, to use an Amiibo with it and the controllers could provide the little bit of power used for a NFC reader.

4 batteries? Do we think the pack will consist of anything else besides the system, dock, joycons and grip? I think that's the case package. The pro controller will be separate.
 

deleted

Member
4 batteries? Do we think the pack will consist of anything else besides the system, dock, joycons and grip? I think that's the case package. The pro controller will be separate.

Each Joy controller side has one and the Switch itself needs one too. That could get pretty expensive pretty fast, so I guess the grip won't have one itself. Especially if it's part of the main package.
 
I really have a hard time figuring out why you would want to play like this. Seems like a nightmare comfort wise.

I guess you could buy "joy con battery packs" to recharge the console on the move?

So when it is in your bag just attach one of these and it will recharge.
 

Kathian

Banned
That would be interesting I guess. I more want to know what the battery impact is with the Joy Cons removed like we saw on the plane.
 

Krooner

Member
Each Joy controller side has one and the Switch itself needs one too. That could get pretty expensive pretty fast, so I guess the grip won't have one itself. Especially if it's part of the main package.

I doubt it. The Joy Con sides will draw power from the tablet and the grip. Like the nunchuck controller on the Wii. The grip will house the wireless comm, NFC, rumble (?) and a battery to power it all.

EDIT - Actually, thinking about it; the reveal did show him using the joy-cons on their own didn't it! So you could be right here and the grip could be drawing from the units to power the NFC or whatever is housed in it.
 
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