Original Nintendo Switch discontinued in Europe from mid-February 2027

Nintendo has confirmed that the original Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED will no longer be sold to European retailers from mid-February 2027 — just shy of a decade after the Switch launched in March 2017. The announcement came buried in a blog post about upcoming Switch 2 hardware changes.

The reason is the EU's Right to Repair directive, which now requires consumer electronics to ship with user-replaceable batteries. Nintendo decided it wasn't worth redesigning the aging Switch hardware to comply, so it's pulling the line from European shelves instead. The same regulation is pushing Nintendo to release updated Switch 2 consoles and controllers with replaceable batteries as early as this summer — those revised models are described as virtually identical to the current hardware. Also discontinued in Europe from the same date: the NES Controller, SNES Controller, SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad, Switch Pro Controller, and Pokémon GO Plus+. Nintendo has confirmed all three Switch 1 console models will still be manufactured throughout 2026 and should remain widely available in Europe for the rest of the year.

The Switch launched in March 2017 and became one of the best-selling consoles ever, though its chances of overtaking the PS2's all-time record are now in serious doubt as Switch 2 pulls attention and sales. Nintendo has already shifted its major releases to Switch 2 exclusively — this year's Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and Pokémon Pokopia are Switch 2-only titles, and next year's Pokémon Winds and Waves follows the same pattern. The European discontinuation doesn't necessarily signal a global wind-down, but Nintendo only manufacturing Switch 1 hardware through 2026 has fans reading between the lines.

Nintendo hasn't announced a similar discontinuation for North America or other regions, and IGN has reached out for clarification. The company did reassure Switch 1 owners that eShop access, Nintendo Switch Online, and existing game libraries will all continue to be supported for the foreseeable future.