Nintendo announced that it will release renewed versions of the Switch 2 and various accessories with user-replaceable batteries in order to comply with the European Union’s new battery regulations.

These new models, which will gradually take their place on the shelves starting from the summer of 2026, are preparations for the legal obligations that will come into force in February 2027.

The company states that there will be no change in the functionality of the devices, but there will be minor changes in battery capacities and device loads.

It is also among the information revealed that the sales of current Switch models in Europe will be stopped completely in 2027.

European Union Rules Moved Nintendo to Action

The European Union is taking a big step to reduce electronic waste and defend consumers’ right to repair.

The newly adopted law, which will come into full force in February 2027, requires that all portable electronic devices have batteries that users can simply remove and insert.

This situation affects a wide range of products, from smartphones to laptops, and also includes game consoles. Nintendo is making significant changes in its hardware design to comply with these strict rules.

The ability of users to replace batteries without the need for special equipment or technical service aims to directly extend the lifespan of the devices.

Original Switch Family Says Goodbye to Europe

The new regulations will greatly impact not only upcoming hardware but also devices already on the market.

Nintendo has made a very critical decision for the brand new Switch family, which has a history of almost ten years.

Company; It is not redesigning the standard Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED models to comply with the new battery law.

Instead, it ends sales of these consoles in Europe as of mid-February 2027, when the law comes into force. This date also coincides with the 10th anniversary of the release of the brand new Switch.

Although existing users will continue to benefit from eShop and online services without any problems, only new generation devices are now available on store shelves.

What’s Changing in Switch 2 and its Accessories?

In line with this decision made by Nintendo, the Switch 2 ecosystem is being completely renewed. This transition period, which will start in the summer of 2026 and last until the beginning of 2027, brings with it various hardware updates that are not reflected to users.

Players do not feel any difference in terms of performance or software between brand new products and these new versions. However, in the background, there are forced changes in battery sizes and case loads.

Console and Joy-Con 2 Details

The renewed Switch 2 console, planned to be released in the fall, comes with a new battery with a capacity of 5,172 mAh instead of the 5,220 mAh battery in the current model. It is stated that this small decrease of one percent will not have a noticeable effect on the usage time of the device.

However, with the addition of the new removable battery slot, the body load of the console increases from 401 grams to 411 grams.

When the new generation Joy-Con 2 controllers are installed on the device, the total load reaches 548 grams from 534 grams.

Joy-Con 2 controllers, which will start to be sold independently in the winter months, experience a small load increase of only 2 grams for each while maintaining the current battery capacity.

Pro Controller and Retro Controllers

Another well-known hardware that has benefited from the wind of change is the Switch 2 Pro Controller.

The new generation Pro Controller, which will be renewed and offered for sale in the winter months, has an 897 mAh battery instead of the current 1,070 mAh battery.

Despite this 16 percent capacity decrease, the controller’s weight decreased from 235 grams to 228 grams, offering players a lighter experience.

On the other hand, retro controllers, which are the favorites of nostalgia lovers, will also be updated in the first months of 2027.

While the battery capacity of the Nintendo 64 controller remains the same, its load increases by only 1 gram.

The Switch 2 compatible GameCube controller switches to a higher 525 mAh battery instead of 500 mAh, and its load increases by 5 grams to 215 grams.

The Japanese technology giant also underlines that official battery replacement kits for all this new hardware will be available for sale via the Nintendo Store in Europe in the future.

Thus, when the battery life of their device expires, users can continue their gaming pleasure without any problems by simply replacing the affordable battery instead of purchasing an original console or controller.