While the new Nintendo Switch with better battery life has been available in parts of the world since the middle of August, India it seems, is getting it right now. The new Nintendo Switch model is available in India right now for a price of Rs. 27,500 to 29,500 depending which part of the country you’re buying from. The reason for the price variance is that with most things Nintendo, the new Nintendo Switch model in India can’t be bought officially with warranty as the company does not have an India presence.
What this means is, you’re restricted to buying from independent stores offline, most of whom depend on parallel imports and therefore charge an amount they deem fit as there’s no MRP to consider. This price range was confirmed by multiple sources in the supply chain and at retail speaking to The Mako Reactor on the condition of anonymity.
The reason for the delay of the new Nintendo Switch India release has to do with when it launched in neighbouring regions like the Middle East wherein countries like the UAE only received stock last week. A decent chunk of parallel imports for the Nintendo Switch originate from the UAE sources confirm.
That said, this has resulted in a price drop for the original Nintendo Switch with offline stores selling it for around Rs. 21,000. Not too bad when you consider Amazon India has it for Rs. 25,000 or so, making us wonder how much the new Nintendo Switch with improved battery life would sell for on Amazon when it eventually shows up.
New Nintendo Switch model versus old one: how to tell the difference
If you’re wondering how to tell the difference between the new Nintendo Switch model and 2017’s launch unit, we got you covered with this handy guide. You’ll need to look for differences in packaging and model numbers to tell one from the other.
New Nintendo Switch model versus old Switch – what to buy?
The old Nintendo Switch offers 2.5 to 6.5 hours of battery life with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild lasting for 3 hours in specific conditions. The new Nintendo Switch Model that is still called the Nintendo Switch will offer 4.5 to 9 hours of battery life with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild lasting for 5.5 hours. This is a huge upgrade.
However is this alone worth spending around Rs. 6,000 more for? This depends on how often you play on your Switch in handheld mode. Even if you need the extra battery life, it’s cheaper to buy a power bank from the likes of Anker or Xiaomi than to spend an additional amount for the new Switch with improved battery life.
Until pricing on the new Nintendo Switch reduces or the old Switch stock is depleted from the India market completely, there’s no reason to spend that much more for just a battery life increase and little else.
