Nintendo Switch controllers are a great way to keep your gaming sessions going, but they can get a little bit expensive over time. Luckily, there are a few ways to charge them up without having to go out and buy new ones. Here are four ways to charge your Nintendo Switch controllers:

  1. Use the Nintendo Switch AC Adapter This is the most common way to charge your controllers, and it’s easy to use. Just plug the adapter into an outlet and plug in the controllers. The adapter will give you around six hours of battery life for each controller.
  2. Use a USB-C Charger If you have a USB-C charger, you can also use it to charge your controllers. Just plug the charger into an outlet and plug in the controllers. The chargers usually give you around two hours of battery life per controller.
  3. Use a Portable Charger If you don’t have any USB-C chargers or if you want more than two hours of battery life per controller, you can use a portable charger instead. Portable chargers usually give you around eight hours of battery life per controller. ..

Put Your Joy-Cons on Your Switch

The main way to charge your Joy-Cons is to simply slide them onto your Switch. However, some conditions must be met before the Joy-Cons will actually charge.

You can use your Joy-Cons in portable mode attached to the Switch even if they have no battery power left, since they get power directly from the Switch. However, they will only charge if the Switch is attached to an AC adapter. You can either directly connect a USB power source (preferably the official charger) to an undocked Switch, or dock the Switch with power connected to the dock.

Your Switch must also be powered on or in Sleep Mode for the Joy-Cons to charge, if your Switch is completely powered off the Joy-Cons will not charge.

RELATED: The Best Nintendo Switch Charger

Charge Multiple Joy-Cons With a Charging Dock

Charging Joy-Cons using the Switch itself is easy enough, but what if you have more than one pair of Joy-Cons? The Switch is a great console for playing games with groups of friends, so it can be tedious to swap out pairs of Joy-Cons on the Switch. The answer is to buy a dedicated Joy-Con charging dock.

These docks allow you to charge one or more pairs of Joy-Cons and usually work from any standard USB power source, including one of the USB ports on your Switch Dock.

Get Comfortable With a Joy-Con Charging Grip

In every Switch or Switch OLED box you’ll get a Joy-Con grip that turns your Joy-Cons into something that is more like a traditional controller. That freebie grip is just a plastic frame, but you can buy a version of the grip that has an internal battery, which charges your Joy-Cons while attached.

Using one of these grips will also significantly extend your play time, assuming that the grip and Joy-Cons are fully charged.

Charge the Pro Controller With Any USB Port

Unlike the Joy-Cons, the Nintendo Pro Controller uses a standard USB-C port to charge. You can charge it directly with a Switch wall adapter or USB-C charger. You can also connect it to one of the USB ports on your Switch Dock. There are also special charging docks that can accommodate both Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers at the same time.

The Pro Controller has an exceptional battery life, so it’s easy to forget to charge it. With a dedicated dock, getting into the habit of charging your Pro Controller when not playing is much easier to enforce, since it also acts as a holder.

There are other ways to make your Switch life more convenient as well, like investing in a Joy-Con replacement to make your handheld experience more comfortable.

RELATED: This Joy-Con Replacement Makes the Switch More Comfortable in Handheld Mode