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You can fully charge your Nintendo Switch in about three and half hours.
- There are two ways to charge a $4 console, and both allow you to play while you're charging.
- When your $4 is in its dock, even if you're playing on the TV, the console will be charging via the power cable connected to the dock.
- You can also plug a USB-C charging cable directly into the $4 while you're playing it in handheld mode.
- $4.
The $4 portability sets it apart from all other home consoles. Even after you disconnect it from its screen, you can keep playing, no matter where you go.
But if your $4 runs out of battery, the fun is over until you get back to a power source. And unfortunately, the Switch's battery life isn't tremendously long - on an original Nintendo Switch, you'll usually get between three and nine hours of active use, depending on how hardware intensive the game you're playing is. The $4 will give you three to seven hours.
However, charging your $4 back to full power only takes about three and a half hours. And you can always keep playing while the console is connected to power. Here's how.
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How to charge a $4
To charge an original Nintendo Switch using the docking station, which also allows you to connect the system to a TV:
1. Connect the provided USB-C charging cable to an AC outlet, and to the USB-C port found in the back of the Switch's dock.
![IMG_5753](https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d9224d22e22af28133410f3-2400/img5753.jpg)
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Connect the charger (or AC adapter) to your Switch's dock.
2. Slide the Switch console into the dock, so that the USB-C plug set into the dock enters the port on the bottom of the Switch.
![IMG_5748](https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d922a262e22af48ac179833-2400/img5748.jpg)
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You can also charge the Joy-Con controllers by attaching them to the Switch while it's charging.
If you want to play the Switch in handheld mode, or you own a Nintendo Switch Lite, just plug the USB-C cable directly into the base of the Switch console.
![IMG_5749](https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d922a5c2e22af23790d0d70-2400/img5749.jpg)
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The charging cable plugs right into the bottom of the Switch.
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