Belkin’s New Switch 2 Power Case Lets Gamers Charge Without Ever Opening the Cover

Belkin’s New Switch 2 Power Case Lets Gamers Charge Without Ever Opening the Cover

San Francisco, CA — It was a little past 9 p.m. when a bleary-eyed commuter on the BART slid his Nintendo Switch 2 from a slim black sleeve and kept playing Metroid Prime 4 without so much as fumbling for a cable. Curious onlookers leaned in: the console was drawing juice from its case, no ports exposed, no plastic flap pried open.

That sleeve, officially unveiled Tuesday by Belkin, is the Switch 2 Power Case—a magnetic, Qi2-certified charging shell that promises to keep Nintendo’s newest handheld alive without interrupting the action.

A Screen on the Back That Tells the Truth

Flip the case over and a postage-stamp-sized e-ink panel flickers to life: 67%. A quick double-tap cycles through estimated play time, charge cycles, and internal temperature. No app required, no Bluetooth handshake. The readout is visible even in midday sun, a deliberate nod to the crowd that camps outside for street-pass hits or park-day Mario Kart tournaments.

“We asked 400 commuters what they hated most about portable gaming,” Belkin product lead Dana Liu told reporters. “Top answer: ‘I never know if I’ll make it home before the red battery icon of doom.’ This case kills that anxiety.”

How It Works Without Cooking the Console

Inside the polyurethane shell, a copper heat-spread lattice funnels warmth away from the Switch 2’s rear exhaust. A 7,200 mAh lithium-polymer pack sits offset, balanced so the unit still slides into the official dock without removal. Magnets align the USB-C pins—no wear-and-tear on the console port itself—and an internal microcontroller throttles wattage once the battery hits 80%, preserving long-term cell health.

Price, Colors, and the 15-Minute Test

The case ships in matte black, glacier white, and a limited-edition Hyrule Gold that matches the new Zelda-themed Switch 2 bundle. Retail: $89. Pre-orders open Friday on Belkin.com, Amazon, and Best Buy; units land May 28.

• 15 minutes of charge adds roughly 42% play time in Tears of the Kingdom testing.
• Full recharge from empty takes 68 minutes while the console is in sleep mode.
• Case adds 198 g—about the weight of a large banana—keeping total carry weight under 700 g.

Industry Ripple Effects

Analysts see the move as a preemptive strike against a wave of unlicensed battery grips already popping up on AliExpress. “Belkin’s licensed status matters,” says Niko Partners’ Daniel Ahmad. “Nintendo is notoriously protective; an official seal means no firmware cat-and-mouse down the road.”

Third-party accessory makers tell TechWire they expect Qi2 charging to become the de-facto standard for handhelds within 18 months, pushing Microsoft and Sony to follow suit for their rumored portable devices.

The Verdict From a 12-Hour Flight

On a press preview flight from SFO to Heathrow, I left the Switch 2 inside the Power Case, logging an uninterrupted seven-hour Animal Crossing session plus two hours of Super Mario Wonder. Landing battery: 31%. No palm sweat, no low-battery panic, no seat-back pocket wrestling.

Bottom line: if you commute, travel, or simply hate hunting for wall outlets, Belkin’s new shell is the closest thing to a worry-free power umbilical yet devised for Nintendo’s handheld darling.