Nintendo to Sell Switch 2 with User-Replaceable Battery in Europe, Original Switch Sales End February 2027

Nintendo has announced that, starting in summer 2026, it will gradually replace the Nintendo Switch 2 console and its controllers sold in Europe with revised versions featuring user-replaceable batteries. The move is a response to new EU battery regulations, and the revised Switch 2 console is expected to arrive in autumn 2026. The company also revealed that the original Nintendo Switch family, launched in 2017, will be discontinued in Europe and other covered markets in mid-February 2027.

New EU Battery Rules Are the Trigger

Behind this move is the EU battery regulation adopted in 2023. Under the rules, portable devices sold in the region from February 18, 2027 onward must be designed so that users can easily remove and replace the battery themselves. Products with built-in batteries, such as smartphones and game consoles, can no longer be sold in Europe unless manufacturers redesign them, so companies across the industry are being forced to respond.

Ahead of this deadline, Nintendo says it will begin switching covered products in Europe to revised versions equipped with user-replaceable batteries starting in summer 2026. Because inventory at retailers and the Nintendo Store will simply transition from current versions to revised ones as stock sells out, buyers will not be able to choose which version they get. Replacement batteries and repair kits will be sold through the Nintendo Store in Europe.

Revised Switch 2 with Replaceable Battery Arrives This Autumn

The revised Switch 2 console, the centerpiece of the announcement, is expected to go on sale in autumn 2026. In exchange for a design that lets users swap the battery, the specifications change slightly. Battery capacity drops about 1 percent from the current 5220mAh to 5172mAh, and the console becomes roughly 10 grams heavier. Each Joy-Con 2 also gains about 2 grams, bringing the total weight with controllers attached to approximately 548 grams, around 14 grams more than the current model.

That said, Nintendo has made clear that there is no difference in functionality between current products and the revised versions. With the battery only about 1 percent smaller, the impact on actual play time should be minimal. Given that game consoles are used for years, many people may well feel the benefit of being able to replace a worn-out battery themselves outweighs the slight changes.

Joy-Con and Other Controllers Will Also Be Revised

The revisions are not limited to the console itself. Joy-Con controllers for the original Switch (in selected colors) will transition from summer 2026, while Joy-Con 2 and the Switch 2 Pro Controller will follow in winter 2026. The NINTENDO 64 controller offered through Nintendo Switch Online and the Nintendo GameCube controller for Switch 2 are scheduled to switch over in 2027. Nintendo notes that these timelines could slip depending on manufacturing and distribution conditions.

On the other hand, some products will not receive revised versions. The Pro Controller for the original Switch, the SEGA Mega Drive controller and Super Famicom-style controllers, and the Pokémon GO Plus + are expected to be phased out without replacements.

Original Switch Closes Out Nearly 10 Years in Europe

The other major part of the announcement concerns the original Switch family. Nintendo says it will continue producing the Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED Model throughout 2026 and that they should be widely available in Europe all year, but from mid-February 2027 it will end shipments to retailers and sales through the Nintendo Store in the covered markets. That marks a milestone almost exactly 10 years after the console's March 2017 launch.

The change applies to the markets served by Nintendo of Europe, which include 34 countries and regions such as the UK, Germany, and France, as well as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa. Whether similar measures will be taken in other regions, including Japan, has not been made clear at this point. Still, considering rising manufacturing costs and the generational shift to the Switch 2, the day the original Switch retires worldwide may not be far off.

Summary

To comply with EU battery regulations, Nintendo will gradually switch the Switch 2 console and controllers sold in Europe to revised versions with user-replaceable batteries starting in summer 2026. The revised console arrives this autumn with identical functionality, a slight weight increase, and about 1 percent less battery capacity. At the same time, the original Switch family will end sales in Europe and other covered markets in mid-February 2027, closing out nearly 10 years of history.