Improved Nintendo Switch 2 to Launch in Europe in Fall 2026 with Replaceable Battery
The EU's battery regulation is forcing Nintendo to revise its hardware mid-generation and phase out older models in Europe, directly shaping the console's lifecycle.
Reporting from 1 source: GAME Watch (Impress).
Nintendo of Europe will release an improved Nintendo Switch 2 with a user-replaceable battery in fall 2026 to comply with EU battery regulations. The new model has a slightly smaller battery (5,172mAh vs 5,220mAh) and is 10g heavier. Battery replacement kits will be sold separately. Improved versions of Joy-Con 2, Joy-Con, and Pro Controller are also planned. The original Switch and Switch Lite will not get improved versions and will be discontinued in Europe after February 2027.
The EU's new battery regulations, effective February 2027, require portable devices to have user-replaceable batteries. Nintendo's response is a hardware revision that sacrifices a small amount of battery capacity for compliance. The improved Switch 2 will launch in Europe in fall 2026 with a 5,172mAh battery (down from 5,220mAh) and a 10g weight increase to 411g. Nintendo of Europe plans to sell battery replacement kits separately. Improved versions of Joy-Con 2, Joy-Con, and the Switch 2 Pro Controller are also in the works. The original Switch and Switch Lite will not receive similar updates and will be discontinued in Europe after mid-February 2027.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 改良版「Switch2」が欧州で2026年秋発売。バッテリー交換可能な設計に