Switch 2 will have a user-replaceable battery in Europe

What's Changing for Shoppers in Europe

The Japanese manufacturer has confirmed that it will begin selling, in phases, revised versions of the Switch 2 and various accessories in which the battery can be removed and replaced without special tools or technical assistance. According to Nintendo UK’s official support, “there is no difference in functionality” between the current products and the new versions—the change is structural, designed to allow users to replace the battery themselves.

The transition begins in the European summer of 2026 and proceeds in stages: first, pairs of Joy-Con in select colors will arrive; in the European fall, the Switch 2 console itself; in the winter, the Joy-Con 2 (pair, left, and right) and the Switch 2 Pro Controller; and, in early 2027, the Nintendo 64 and GameCube retro controllers.

Why Nintendo is doing this

The motivation is the European Union’s new Battery Regulation, approved in 2023. The regulation stipulates that consumer electronic devices with built-in batteries must have cells that are “easily removable and replaceable by the end user” throughout the product’s useful life. The requirement takes effect on February 18, 2027, and Nintendo states that its products will be “fully compliant” with the requirements.

This is a concrete victory for the right-to-repair movement, which has been pressuring manufacturers for years to make device maintenance easier and reduce the electronic waste generated by sealed batteries.

End of the Road for the Original Switch in Europe

The flip side of the coin is the end of sales for the first-generation Switch on the continent. Nintendo will stop supplying retailers with the original console, the Switch Lite, the OLED model, and some classic controllers (NES, SNES, and Mega Drive) starting in mid-February 2027, as these devices will not feature removable batteries. In practice, the European market is losing the option of a more affordable console in the Switch family.

Specifications change slightly

To accommodate the removable battery, some specifications have been adjusted. According to the released data, the Switch 2 console now has a 5,172 mAh battery, down from the current model’s 5,220 mAh, and is about 10 g heavier. The Switch 2’s Pro Controller undergoes the most noticeable change: its capacity drops to 897 mAh, down from the previous 1,070 mAh—a reduction of approximately 16%—although the accessory is slightly lighter. The Joy-Con 2 gains a few grams but retains the same capacity.

• Switch 2 console: 5,172 mAh (was 5,220 mAh), about 10 g heavier

• Switch 2 Pro Controller: 897 mAh (was 1,070 mAh)

• Joy-Con 2: same capacity, slight increase in weight

What about outside Europe?

For now, these updates apply only to the European market, where the legislation is in effect. The new units have their own model numbers and an “OSM” code on the packaging to distinguish them as separate products to regulatory agencies. There is no confirmation that models with replaceable batteries will reach other regions, but the change sets an important precedent: when such a large market imposes repairability rules, manufacturers often end up rolling out the improvements globally.