Things New Nintendo Switch Owners Should Try

There are some tips for new owners to make the Nintendo Switch experience as enjoyable as possible.

When you get your hands on a new Nintendo Switch, many users are wondering what to do. While the Switch is easy to set up and use, there are a few tricks that will make your experience even better, from increasing battery life to saving time accessing the eShop. Before you jump into the tricks you want to do, make sure you have created a user profile and connected it to your Nintendo account.

1. Screen protector for Switch

No matter how careful you are, your Switch will still need a screen protector to protect its screen from the elements. With this in mind, accessory company Hori has created a cheap but effective screen protector for Nintendo's console, so consider using it to protect your screen. There are also a variety of other options, such as carrying cases, that are also a good way to protect your Switch.

2. Create additional sub-accounts

Even if you're the only one gaming on your Switch, create an additional user profile. And it's even more fun if you set the region for that secondary account to Japan. Some games only allow one save file per account, and setting the region to Japan will unlock games and demos that haven't come to other regions, including some games in the Switch Online classic library.

3. Turn on Dark Mode

Go to the settings menu and turn on Dark Mode. It will be easier on your eyes while using your device and reduce unnecessary battery usage.

4. Use Airplane mode

One more tip related to battery life, turn on Airplane Mode to turn off unnecessary features like WiFi and Bluetooth. It will extend battery life and can be easily turned back on to normal mode immediately from the settings menu.

5. Remove password requirement for eShop

Switch usually asks you to enter your password every time you log into the eShop, if this is annoying you can turn it off. To do that first open the eShop, select your profile icon in the top right, click on your account information and change the settings for skipping password entry.

6. Try out free games

While the Switch's library doesn't have a ton of free-to-play titles, you can try out your new Switch gaming experience with titles like Fortnite, Warframe, Pokémon Unite, Brawlhalla, Apex Legends, and Eternal.

7. Backup data with cloud storage feature

The Switch didn't previously come with cloud saves, but they're now available thanks to the Switch Online service. This is a paid service, however, costing $20/year. It's useful if you plan on spending a lot of time playing offline games like Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey. Plus, even if your Switch gets stolen or damaged, your save data is safe in the Switch Online cloud.

Lesley Montoya

Update 16 January 2025