Getting a clear read on your Nintendo Switch 2’s battery life can be surprisingly tricky sometimes. The default only shows a battery icon without any percentage numbers, which isn’t super helpful when you’re trying to squeeze in that last level before power runs out or know exactly how much juice you’ve got left. Luckily, turning on the battery percentage display isn’t hard, but it’s not totally obvious where to find the setting. If you’re tired of guessing and want a more precise readout, this guide is for you. Enabling it will give you that nice little percentage in the corner so you always know if your battery is dipped below 10% or still good for hours.

How to Show Battery Percentage on Your Nintendo Switch 2

Access System Settings and Find the Battery Percentage Option

Start by turning on your Switch and heading into the System Settings. You can find this icon on the bottom row of the home screen—looks like a gear. From there, scroll down the menu on the left side until you see the System option. Click into it. Now, here’s the weird part: you need to look for the toggle called Show Battery Percentage. It’s not huge, and sometimes it’s easy to miss because it’s tucked a bit further down. Make sure that toggle is switched on.

Why do this? Well, if you’ve ever been caught off-guard with a dead battery or just feel like the icon doesn’t give enough info, enabling this option will display the exact battery percentage next to or inside the icon in the top right corner of the screen. Expect that after toggling it on, you’ll see the numbers right away—no reboot needed, usually. But some say that on first try, it might not appear immediately, so a quick reboot can help if it’s still missing.

Return to the Home Screen and Check the Result

After toggling it on, just hit the Home button or go back to the main screen. Look at the top right corner—there should be a battery icon and a number indicating % left. That’s pretty much what you wanted, right? If it’s not showing immediately, double-check that the toggle is still on in System Settings. Sometimes, a quick refresh or even turning the Switch off and on again can make the setting stick properly.

Extra Tips & Common Troubleshooting

  • Make sure your Switch is running the latest firmware. Sometimes, older versions can cause weird glitches, including settings not sticking.
  • If you don’t see the battery percentage after enabling it, try restarting the console. Honestly, sometimes just a reboot is enough to make the setting take effect.
  • If the toggle isn’t working, check if there are any system updates pending. It might fix bugs that block certain UI features.
  • On some setups, the percentage might only show when the battery drops below a certain level—no clue why, kind of weird, but that’s how it is sometimes.
  • If you’re super into customizing, check out community tools or maybe even third-party apps (some people use custom firmware or homebrew options, but beware—those can void warranties or brick the device if not done right).

Wrap-up

This isn’t the most hidden setting in the world, but it’s definitely not front-and-center either. Once you find the toggle in System Settings, turning it on is pretty straightforward. Expect it to work right away most of the time, but sometimes a quick restart helps settle things. Just knowing exactly how much battery you’ve got left at a glance makes a world of difference during long gaming sessions or when away from a charger. Not sure why Nintendo didn’t make this clearer from the start, but at least it’s doable.

Summary

  • Navigate to System Settings from the home menu.
  • Find and select System.
  • Toggle on Show Battery Percentage.
  • Return to the home screen and verify the percentage appears.
  • If it doesn’t show instantly, try restarting your device.

Final thoughts

Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Nothing expensive or complicated, just a setting most folks miss because it’s not front and center. Once you’ve got it enabled, keeping track of your battery is way less stressful. Good luck, and happy gaming!