Nintendo to Launch Switch 2 Console With Replaceable Battery in the EU

Nintendo is planning to launch a new version of its Switch 2 console in the EU with a replaceable battery to comply with local laws. Starting in February 2027, the Batteries Regulation will require integrated batteries in certain electronic appliances sold in the EU to be easily replaceable by end-users, and this will apply to the Nintendo Switch 2.

“Nintendo is implementing measures to comply with these requirements by preparing versions of products to meet the Regulation,” the company said on its website (via The Verge). The company added that future Nintendo Switch 2 models with a replaceable battery will feature unique model numbers and an additional “OSM” code that will be visible on the packaging.

The hardware experts at iFixit gave the Nintendo Switch 2 a 3/10 repairability score, pointing out in their teardown that the battery is ”aggressively glued in.” The detachable Joy-Con 2 also includes a built-in 500 mAh battery, but Nintendo didn’t specify if it’s also planning a hardware revision to make it user-replaceable.

While we don’t yet know when Nintendo plans to launch this new Switch 2 model with a replaceable battery in the EU, the company already announced that the console will get a price bump in the EU, the US, and Canada on September 1. In the EU, the console will go from €469.99 to €499.99, matching the launch price of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X in the EU. Both consoles also saw their price increase in recent months due to the ongoing AI-fueled RAM crisis.