The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons slowly drain battery when they're not in use, but there's a solution. If left uncharged, the Joy-Cons will eventually lose battery life and, even worse, become completely unusable due to battery bloat over time. That's because of one feature of the Switch, which makes it crucial for the Joy-Cons to always be on, even when users think they're powered down.
In a YouTube video, VK's Channel explains that Joy-Cons are never completely off, even when they're disconnected from the console. Instead, they exist in a perpetual state of standby. This is necessary due to a search function in the Switch, which can be used to activate the controllers and "wake them up" with a buzz so they can be found in case they're lost.
The controllers remain in standby even if they've been unpaired from the console. As a result, the Joy-Cons are forever draining power when they're not in use, which will eventually render them unusable or lead to hazardous bloated batteries.
The latest reporting around the Nintendo Switch 2 software suggests the console will continue its predecessor's most appealing strategy.
Luckily, there's a way to turn the Joy-Cons completely...