Nintendo has begun selling its new Switch model in Canada.
As revealed last month, the Switch iteration sports an improved battery life over the original model. According to Nintendo, the updated Switch has a battery life of 4.5 to nine hours — a marked increase over the 2.6 to 6.5 hours offered by the previous model.
To put this into perspective, the longer-lasting battery allows for about 5.5 hours of playtime in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, compared to the three hours that is possible with the original Switch. Otherwise, there is no feature or specifications difference between the new and old Switches.
Currently, the new Switch is only listed on EB Games Canada.ca and Best Buy Canada.ca, as spotted by Twitter user Lbabinz. The difference between the new and old models can be determined by their packaging. The top image is the original Switch, while the bottom is the updated model:
While the Switch with the longer-lasting battery is seemingly being positioned as the default model going forward, it’s important to note that it will actually cost a bit more than its predecessor. Earlier this week, Nintendo of Canada quietly raised the price of the Switch to $399 CAD, up from $379.
The Switch originally cost $399 when it launched in March 2017, although Nintendo had cut the price by $20 last summer — a reduction that remained in effect until now. Nintendo has yet to comment on the increase, although it appears to be due — at least in part — to the new Switch’s increased battery capabilities.
It’s currently unclear if Nintendo has plans to change the price of its upcoming Switch Lite, a dock-less system that only allows for game playback using the Switch handheld. As it stands, the Switch Lite is set to launch on September 20th in Canada at a cost of $260 CAD.
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