With the release of system update 22.0.0 this week, the Switch 2 has gained a new feature. The Handheld Boost allows Switch 1 games to be played in handheld mode with the same technical specifications as TV mode. This means they can be played in 1080p on the go instead of the usual 720p.
Unfortunately, it appears that this feature is extremely resource-intensive. As a result, battery life is reduced by approximately 25% in this mode. For example, a user on Reddit noted that a session of DOOM (2019) would drain the battery in 3 hours and 43 minutes, compared to 5 hours and 5 minutes previously.
Fortunately, it is possible to disable this Handheld Boost at any time. Nevertheless, this remains problematic.
