HAC-001 (-01): New Nintendo Switch Model - Differences & Comparison

2023 Author: Sheila Hailey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 04:29

Nintendo quietly and secretly released a new and improved switch model in mid-August 2019. You can recognize them by the red packaging and the model number. YouTuber "Kevin Kenson" compared the new model with the old one, which resulted in the following differences:

	Old model	New model
Model number	Starts with " HAC " or " HAC-001"	Starts with " HAC-001 (-01) " or " HAD"
packaging	Mostly white	Mostly red
Battery life	2.5 to 6.5 hours	4.5 to 9 hours
processor	Tegra X1 (20 nm)	Tegra X1 (16 nm), energy saving & less heat development
battery pack	Same battery (4310 mAh)	Same battery (4310 mAh)
Battery charging time	3 hours (standby mode)	3 hours (standby mode)
Display	A little darker, a little blue shade	Slightly lighter, warmer hue (more precise white balance) More visible in direct sunlight
power	Equal	Equal
Joy-Cons	Original model	Different battery model Slightly modified components with a different serial number

Better battery life

The built-in battery lasts longer due to the processor's energy-saving mode of operation. Here is an example with the game "Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (handheld mode):

• Old model: Lasts up to 3 hours.
• New model: lasts up to 5.5 hours.

Same performance in games

Even if the processor of the improved switch uses less battery energy, the games run equally fast on both console variants. The old model only gets a little warmer in operation.

The display is more accurate

The display of the new switch model seems to be better calibrated. A more precise shade of white ensures warmer colors. As a result, you see the colors on the new model more as they were intended by the developers. The blue color cast of the old model is limited.

Is the Joy-Cons drift problem solved?

It is still unclear whether the changed controller components of the new switch model prevent the drift problem of some Joy-Cons, since the problem usually only occurs after a long period of use.

How do I find out if I have the new switch model? Where is the model number?

The model number is written relatively small on the back of the Nintendo Switch under the "Nintendo Switch Logo":

HAC-001 (-01) correction: Confusing HAC and HAD information on Nintendo

It is written on the English Amazon and on certain websites that the new model has the model number HAC-001 (-01). To our knowledge, this is correct. On the Nintendo website, however, the following is stated:

Unless Nintendo was wrong here, the following applies:

• Switch consoles starting with model numbers HAC-001 (-01) AND HAD are the new model.
• Switch consoles that start with the model number HAC-001 (without the brackets behind them) are the old model.

In addition, Nintendo also launched the Switch Lite on September 20th. You can find the differences of this console here. The only question left is when a Pro version of the Switch will be released.

I would like to see ALL of these SNES classics on the Switch:

Start photo gallery (27 photos)

Conclusion: buy a new switch model HAC-001 (-01)?

So if you want to buy a new switch console, be sure to buy the red box to have all the improvements. For owners of an old switch model, it is not worth switching to the new model, as the changes do not affect performance in games and do not justify the price or exchange for a new console.

Nintendo Switch Pro could appear without a handheld function

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