Replaceable battery: EU regulation forces Nintendo to redesign the Switch 2

Debora Pape

23-3-2026

Translation: machine translated

A Japanese magazine reports that Nintendo is working on an extensive hardware redesign of the Switch 2. It could bring an exclusive, repair-friendly console variant to Europe. The reason for this is the EU's battery regulation, which comes into force next February.

The Switch 2 has only been on the market for nine months. According to a Japanese report, Nintendo is now planning to modify the console and the Joy Cons specifically for Europe on the hardware side.

The reason for this is the EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542, which stipulates that users must be able to replace the batteries of new devices themselves from 18 February 2027. The regulation aims to reduce e-waste by making products usable for longer and reducing dependence on manufacturer services.

The battery is firmly glued into the housing

Battery capacities decrease over time. Depending on the intensity of use, the battery life decreases so much after four to six years that it makes sense to replace the battery. There is no data on the battery life of the Switch 2 yet. As a comparison: For the Switch 1 Nintendo states that the capacity drops to 80 per cent after 800 full charging cycles.

For a replacement, users have to send in the Switch 2 just like the previous console, because the battery is not only difficult to access and only accessible with special tools, but is also firmly glued into the housing. Removing it requires solvents and force, which destroys the foam layer on the back of the battery. You can see this in this video from around minute 5:57.

The repair platform iFixit therefore accuses Nintendo of customer friendliness: Neither for the Switch 2 and the Joy Cons nor for the Pro Controller there are original spare parts and repair instructions.

Installing the battery in such a way that you and I can remove it requires an extensive hardware redesign: Nintendo has to revise the internal layout, the housing design and the assembly technology. Changes to the supply and production chains are also an expensive endeavour.

It is not yet known how the new design could affect the heat dissipation, battery capacity and case thickness of the Switch 2.

Exclusive Switch 2 variant for Europe

The announcement of the battery regulation decision in mid-2023 came at an unfavourable time for Nintendo. Hardware development, which typically takes two to four years including tests and certifications, was already in full swing. The details of the regulation were not specified until later. Nintendo was therefore unable to take the exact specifications into account during the development process.

Like all other manufacturers, Nintendo is also bound by the new EU battery regulation and would have to adapt its products for the European market anyway. What is remarkable about the commitment to change the console design is the European exclusivity. Other regions will continue to receive consoles with permanently glued-in batteries.

The company says it will also make the more accessible console variant available for the US and Japanese markets if «consumer awareness of their right to repair increases in the future». The political pressure for freedom from repair is significantly lower in these regions than in Europe.
Two parallel manufacturing processes are associated with higher costs. It is therefore possible that Nintendo could launch the EU version without this «increasing awareness» or introduce new laws globally.

The case is reminiscent of the EU requirement that forced Apple to abolish its Lightning connector for the European market in favour of USB-C. Apple subsequently switched to USB-C globally.

Debora Pape

Editor

Debora.Pape@galaxus.de

Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.

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