Nintendo plans to release a modified Switch 2 in Europe that will let you swap out the battery without sending the console in for service. The move is a direct response to a new EU regulation set to take effect in February 2027, which requires portable electronics, including game consoles, to support user-replaceable batteries.
Why this is a bigger deal than it sounds
Replacing the battery in a standard Switch 2 today is not a simple task. It requires partial disassembly, which isn’t ideal for the average user. The EU rule is designed to change that, pushing manufacturers toward designs where an average user can pull out and replace a dead battery without tools or a trip to the repair shop.
Nintendo is one of the first major console makers to publicly acknowledge it is preparing a compliant product, but the company has yet to share specifics.
What Nintendo has and hasn’t said
A Nikkei report in March first revealed that Nintendo was working on a replaceable-battery revision for the EU, and also indicated that the Joy-Con controllers would receive the same treatment. Nintendo has now confirmed on its website (via The Verge) that it is working on compliant versions of its current hardware. Future EU units will carry new model numbers and an “OSM” code on the packaging to distinguish them from standard consoles, which currently use model numbers beginning with “BEE,” as seen in Nintendo’s FCC filings.
The company did not describe what the physical changes will look like and stopped short of confirming the Joy-Con revision Nikkei reported. There’s also no word on whether units with replaceable batteries will be sold outside the EU.
Nintendo is not the only device maker facing this deadline. The February 2027 regulation covers a broad range of consumer electronics, from tablets to wireless earbuds, and other manufacturers will need to comply or qualify for an exemption. For buyers, the practical upside is straightforward: a console battery that you can replace yourself, on your own timeline, without a service appointment.
