Make sure you don't buy the wrong Switch – CNET

A new Nintendo Switch handheld gaming console is now available, and it has up to twice the battery life of the first generation. The new model costs the same as the original Switch ($300), but Nintendo says the new model runs up to twice as long on a charge. If you’re wondering if you should buy the original Switch, get the new Switch or even buy the $200 Switch Lite when it ships, we have a handy guide to help you decide which Switch is for you.

But if you’ve already decided you’re buying the new $300 Switch, be aware: It might sell side by side with the first-generation Switch in stores, and you don’t want to get the wrong one.

We don’t know for sure that this will happen (although we’ve seen it with plenty of other products before), but on Nintendo’s buy-now Switch page today, the old and new models appear together. Your solution: Know what to look for to make sure you’re getting the hand-held you want.

Here’s how to identify the new Nintendo Switch for 2019. CNET may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

New Nintendo Switch (2019)

• Model number: HAC-001(-01).
• Product serial number: Begins with XKW.
• Product description: Battery life approximately 4.5 to 9 hours.

To avoid confusion, here’s where you can buy it now.

Original Nintendo Switch (2017)

• Model number: HAC-001.
• Product serial number: Begins with XAW.
• Product description: Battery life approximately 2.5 to 6.5 hours.

And if you are still shopping, here are our first impressions with the Switch Lite, which you can preorder now.