Switch 2 Is Getting a Replaceable-Battery Revision This Autumn in Europe

Nintendo has confirmed a hardware revision for Switch 2 that introduces user-replaceable batteries, rolling out in Europe from autumn 2026. The move is driven by incoming EU regulations on battery replaceability, which take effect in mid-February 2027.

The revised Switch 2 console will carry a 5172mAh battery — roughly 1% smaller than the current 5220mAh unit — and will weigh approximately 411g, about 10g heavier than the existing model. With Joy-Con 2 controllers attached, the total weight climbs to around 548g, up 14g from the current 534g. Joy-Con 2 pairs are getting replaceable batteries too, arriving this winter; each controller gains about 2g. The Switch 2 Pro Controller revision, also due this winter, actually sheds 7g (down to 228g) despite a notably smaller 897mAh battery — a 16% reduction from the current 1070mAh. The N64 and GameCube Nintendo Switch Online controllers are both getting revisions in early 2027, with the GameCube controller gaining a slightly larger 525mAh battery (up from 500mAh). Nintendo says revised products will be sold on a rolling basis and buyers won't be able to choose which version they receive from the Nintendo Store, though updated units will carry unique model numbers and an "OSM" code on the packaging so you can tell them apart.

The EU Battery Regulation — which requires consumer electronics to feature user-replaceable batteries — is the direct catalyst here. Nintendo is complying ahead of the February 2027 deadline across a wide range of European markets, including France, Germany, the UK, and many others. It's a significant manufacturing shift for Nintendo, which has historically kept its hardware tightly sealed; the Switch line's batteries have not been user-serviceable out of the box.

The revised hardware covers a broad list of countries across Europe and beyond, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, South Africa, and Norway. Nintendo has not announced equivalent revisions for North America or Japan, where no comparable regulation currently applies.