Nintendo Reportedly Revising Switch 2 for EU With User-Replaceable Batteries

The Switch 2 you bought at launch has a glued-in battery. That detail, reported by The Verge citing an iFixit teardown, is exactly why Nintendo is reportedly engineering a whole new version of the hardware for Europe. According to Nikkei, Nintendo is working on a new Switch 2 revision to comply with European Union rules around the ability for owners to replace batteries in consumer electronics themselves.

The driver is Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, which states that "any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries shall ensure that those batteries are readily removable and replaceable by the end-user at any time during the lifetime of the product." Although the law was passed in 2023, the removable battery clause does not take effect until February 18, 2027.

The current Switch 2 does not fit that description: an iFixit teardown found the battery is aggressively glued in and requires pry tools plus isopropyl alcohol for removal, which explains why a separate EU revision may be necessary if Nintendo wants to keep the current internal layout elsewhere.

The change will also affect the Joy-Cons, making it easier for users to replace the batteries on the console and its controllers without needing special tools, solvents, or other materials, at least in the EU. Per the Nikkei report, the revised model will arrive "soon," though no exact release date has been confirmed. Nikkei says the plan will so far go into effect only in the EU to satisfy these requirements, but that Nintendo may also implement it similarly in Japan and the US if consumer right-to-repair awareness or parallel legislation demands it.

The European Battery Regulation requires by 2027 that portable batteries in consumer products be user-replaceable, meaning this revised Switch 2 model would make it possible for consumers to safely remove and replace the internal lithium-ion battery in the console, making it easier and more affordable to address battery degradation or damage without resorting to costly repairs or replacing the entire unit. The regulation also requires manufacturers to provide instructions and safety information, and sets EU waste collection targets of 63% of portable battery waste by end of 2027, rising to 73% by end of 2030.

The EU regulation is not limited to gaming handhelds; it is expected to affect nearly every portable battery-powered device, including smartphones, laptops, earbuds, and headphones. Other companies have already started responding, with Sony making it easier to replace the batteries on its DualSense controllers. Nintendo would not be the first to ship a region-exclusive battery revision: FujiFilm's Instax Mini Link 3 already offers a user-replaceable NP-70S battery, but only for European buyers.

Questions remain about what happens to the millions of Switch 2 units already in Europe and how these changes might interact with existing warranty terms, and so far Nintendo has not made any comment to reporting outlets. The exact technical approach, whether that means a removable back panel, new screws replacing adhesive, or a modular battery design, has not been disclosed.

The reaction from players has been equal parts relief and frustration that it took regulatory pressure to get here. Nintendo Life commenter ElkinFencer10 put it bluntly: "This seriously should have been a feature since the initial launch of the Switch. Let me replace/upgrade the battery like you could with the 3DS and Wii U gamepad." Corsich agreed, pointing out that the original 3DS "battery replacement is as simple as possible - just unscrew the lid and replace. No glue or special tools aside from a screwdriver."

It is unclear why Nintendo did not build the Switch 2 with a removable battery from the start, especially given that Europe is its second-largest market after the United States. Whether the company treats this as a Europe-only compliance measure or a quiet signal of where all Switch 2 hardware is eventually headed remains to be seen.