The Nintendo Switch is a marvelous little piece of tech. It lets you game on your big TV at home and on the go on with its built-in 6.2-inch screen. But that kind of mobile processing power comes with a price: subpar battery life.
Thankfully, Anker's got a new battery pack so good, it can charge the Switch just as fast as if it was plugged right into the wall.
A lot of gamers have had trouble finding a battery pack that would even deliver enough power to charge a Switch, let alone play and charge at the same time. However, the new $99 Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD has enough juice to refill the Switch more than 6 times from 0-100, and it can pump out up to 30 watts of power using Anker's own USB-C Power Delivery tech to ensure the fastest charging speeds possible.
The PowerCore+ 26800 is good for more than just charging the Switch. Anker says its new battery pack can charge devices such as the LG V20 and iPad Pro even faster than when you use the chargers that come included in the box.
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I had a chance to go hands-on with the PowerCore 26800 for ourselves, and I'm happy to say that it works just as advertised. In addition to the single USB-C port, there are two USB Type-A ports that can output power at up to 5 volts at 3 amps. The battery also comes with an included wall charger for recharging the pack or anything else that uses USB-C, a mesh carrying pouch, and two cables: a double-side USB-C cord (in keeping with USB PD standards) and old school USB Type-A to micro USB cord.
Since the battery pack's USB-C port can be used to send and receive power, you just have to remember to push the button on top when you want to recharge the pack.
The only real downside to the PowerCore+ 26800 is its weight. Weighing 1.3 pounds, it's noticeably heavier than an undocked Switch, which tips the scales at just 0.9 pounds. So if you're planning on taking it with you during your travels, it may be a wise idea to invest in a bigger case for your Switch.
While I'm hoping that Anker comes out with a lower capacity version of the PowerCore+ that's easier to carry around, it's shaping up to be the battery pack to get for your Switch.
Oh, and if you're thinking of pick one up for yourself, make sure it says USB-C PD somewhere on the description. There's an older version of the PowerCore 26800 out there that doesn't deliver the same level of output.
Photo Credit: Samuel C. Rutherford / Tom's Guide
