Since the upcoming Nintendo Switch can be undocked and used as a handheld console, there have been concerns over whether players would lose all unsaved progress should the Switch's battery suddenly die. Fortunately, this won't be the case as Game Rant tested this potential issue and found that the console will keep any game paused once it shuts down, thus preventing the loss of any unsaved progress.

For this test, we played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with the Joy-Cons attached to the console, the wi-fi feature on (airplane mode was off), the screen brightness set to auto (which was turned to about three quarters of the way), and no other applications or features were running in the background. The battery gave out after playing Breath of the Wild for three hours, but upon recharging the battery and firing up the Switch again, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we could immediately pick up where we left off.

Not only did the test confirm Nintendo's earlier statements about the Switch's three hour battery life, it has helped reassure players that they won't ever lose any unsaved progress, especially with a game as massive as Breath of the Wild.

As the Switch's March launch date inches ever closer and the library of launch titles grows larger, it will be very interesting to see how Nintendo's new console operates under various real world scenarios. While the Switch's price and battery life may ultimately play a part in its success, something as simple as never losing unsaved game progress due to the battery dying will go a long way in convincing gamers that the Big N's handheld/console hybrid is something worth purchasing.

With a number of lengthy games still to come for the Big N's new console, such as I Am Setsuna and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, it appears that the importance of the Switch's battery life will be emphasized more as more titles are released. Having said that, it certainly seems like the Switch's ability to pause the game upon shutting down will ultimately come in very handy, especially for those who intend to bring the console everywhere with them.

What are your thoughts on the Switch so far? Are you swayed by the prospect of not losing your unsaved game data should the battery die? Let us know in the comments.

Nintendo Switch is scheduled for launch on March 3, 2017.