Nintendo confirms Switch 1 keeps selling outside Europe after February 2027 EU exit

Nintendo has confirmed it will continue selling the original Switch in North America, Japan, and other regions outside Europe, after announcing it will pull the console from European shelves in mid-February 2027. The clarification came in a statement to IGN after Nintendo's initial messaging sparked speculation that a global retirement might be quietly in the works.

The European withdrawal is driven by incoming EU regulations requiring user-replaceable batteries in consumer electronics. Nintendo is redesigning the Switch 2 and its controllers to comply, but won't do the same for the aging Switch 1 lineup — so the original Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED will all exit European retail around mid-February 2027, nearly ten years after the original launched in March 2017. Nintendo of Europe confirmed all three models will still be manufactured throughout 2026 and should remain widely available in Europe for the rest of the year. Outside Europe, Nintendo says sales continue as planned.

The Switch has had a remarkably long commercial run. Ars Technica's analysis of Nintendo's earnings history shows that even the company's best-selling hardware typically sees sales fall to zero within nine years — yet the Switch has shown unusual staying power. Despite the Switch 2 now commanding most of Nintendo's attention and marketing, the original platform is still receiving new software, including Rhythm Heaven Groove released this month, and remains a cheaper entry point into Nintendo gaming than its successor.

Nintendo's initial statement — which hinted the console may no longer be manufactured — briefly fueled speculation about a spring 2027 global end-of-life. The company's follow-up statement put that to rest for now, though with Switch 1 approaching its tenth birthday and Switch 2 gaining momentum, the clock is clearly ticking on its global availability too.