Nintendo’s Switch handheld gaming consoles are very popular, with the first generation selling over 155 million units and the Nintendo Switch 2 selling nearly 20 million units through March 2026. There’s a lot to like about these consoles, including the use of a USB-C port as well as USB Power Delivery (USB PD) for charging needs. This combination indicates that you should be able to use your USB-C phone chargers that support USB PD to charge your Switch, the same way you can with various USB-C laptops. However, Nintendo’s non-standard implementation and strict power profile requirements can sometimes complicate things slightly.
More importantly, the power requirements of the first generation Switch models and the Switch 2 are different, which can further create some confusion. Therefore, it’s important to understand what each Switch model needs for charging or power in portable or TV mode so you can decide if your phone’s power adapter will be sufficient to provide this.
First generation Nintendo Switch consoles
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The first generation of Nintendo Switch includes three different models. While all Gen 1 models are reasonably flexible when it comes to charging in portable mode, the requirements become slightly stricter in TV mode. To charge one of your first-generation Switch models, you need up to 14W of power, depending on the model. According to Nintendo’s EU common charger specs, while the standard Switch needs 10W for faster charging in handheld mode, the Switch OLED and Switch Lite can manage 14W and 9W, respectively. As long as your USB-C phone charger with USB PD support can push 5V or 15V with appropriate amperage, you’ll be fine. Fortunately, this is true for most phone chargers.
However, in TV mode, the Switch and Switch OLED only accept 15V of power at 2.6A for a total of 39W. Therefore, you will need a USB-C power brick capable of delivering 15V at up to 3A, which means at least a 45W charger, to meet these power needs. This is unfortunately not very common in many phone chargers. So while you can use any USB-C phone charger to power your Switch on the go, you’ll need either Nintendo’s official power adapter or a compatible 45W charger to power the Switch in TV mode.
Charging the Nintendo Switch 2
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As the Switch 2 is a major upgrade over the first generation models, it has higher power requirements, especially in TV mode. According to Nintendo’s EU common charger specifications for the Switch 2, it needs 12W of power to charge in handheld mode and 54W in TV mode. 12W portable charging is easily achievable with any phone charger capable of pushing 5V or 9V. However, for TV mode, the Switch 2 only accepts 20V of power with up to 3A of current to get its 54W of power. This means your phone charger needs to produce at least 60W of power with a power profile of 20V-3A to operate the Switch 2 in TV mode, which again is rare for phone chargers.
Similar to the first generation Switch models, you should have no problem using your regular USB-C phone charger to charge the Switch 2 while traveling or around town, as you’ll only be using portable mode. However, if you want to plug it in, make sure you’re using at least a 60W USB PD power brick. Keep in mind that if you’re actively using your Switch while charging in portable mode, it’s best to have a more powerful charger on hand to ensure your battery doesn’t drain while you’re gaming.
