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Nintendo Switch 2 has a major AC Adapter upgrade, but you can’t use the original one anymore

With the new Nintendo Switch 2, the included power brick – also called an AC Adapter – now has a detachable USB-C cable, but you might run into some problems if you try to use the original system’s charger.

Nintendo embraced USB-C for the original Switch, a decision that’s made charging and a host of other accessories both easy and abundant. However, one small drawback was that the included power brick for the first Switch had a fixed cable. It couldn’t be removed and couldn’t be replaced.

The Nintendo Switch 2 fixes this, with a new power brick that has a detachable USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. It’s a welcome change purely from the aspect of having a more flexible console.

A black charger next to a black cord

The new power brick also delivers considerably more power. It’s a 60W adapter when pushing full power, up from around 40W on the original.

The change in power output means that you cannot use the original power adapter for docked mode. Nintendo will still let you charge your Switch 2 with any USB-C charger, but if you try to use the original AC Adapter with the console in docked mode, you’ll just get an error message.

A hand holding a rectangular device

This is a bit of a shame in terms of setup, as you won’t be able to just slot your Switch 2’s dock into the same place as the original without finagling with cables, but it makes sense. Switch 2 is capable of 4K HDR output and has a lot more horsepower in general, so not every charger will get the job done.

If you need a spare, Walmart has the official Nintendo Swtich 2 AC Adapter in stock for $35.

Happy Switch 2 day everyone!

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Avatar for Ben Schoon Ben Schoon

Ben is a writer for 9to5Google. You can find him on Twitter @NexusBen.