The European Commission ruled some time ago that all electronic devices sold within the European Economic Area must comply with legislation on planned obsolescence, recycling, and maintenance, allowing worn-out batteries to be easily replaced with new ones. This is something that the Nintendo Switch family of consoles, for example, had not complied with until now. We knew there would be an updated version of the Nintendo Switch 2 to bring it into line with the regulations, and we now know the timetable for its arrival in shops.
Nintendo has announced on its support page that from summer 2026, the updated products - including Nintendo Switch 2 consoles and Joy-Con controllers with replaceable batteries - will begin arriving in shops. Users will be able to replace these batteries themselves using kits available from the Nintendo Store.
An interesting point is that Nintendo has already confirmed that the new console batteries will not have a higher capacity than the current ones; in fact, they will be 1 per cent lower (5,172 mAh, compared to the current 5,200 mAh). They will also be a few grams heavier, as will the Joy-Con controllers.
Although you can view the updated roadmap for Nintendo products via this link, we can tell you now that if you want to get your hands on a Switch 2 model with a replaceable battery, you'll have to wait until autumn, when they'll start arriving in shops. The Joy-Con 2 controllers will be phased in over the winter, whilst the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2 will be phased out in early 2027.
The end of the Nintendo Switch in Europe
Nintendo has taken this opportunity to confirm that it will discontinue the manufacture and sale of the Nintendo Switch 1 (standard, Lite and OLED models) from February 2027. Until then, these consoles will continue to be manufactured and remain available throughout Europe. They also promise that "the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Switch Online and other services will continue to be available for the foreseeable future."
Will you be opting for a Nintendo Switch 2 with replaceable batteries? Will you be replacing any of your controllers as a result of this move?