Nintendo Switch 2 Could Get a Removable Battery Variant Next Year to Comply With EU Regulations

Nintendo Switch 2 was launched globally in June last year and is currently the only console listed on the company website for sale. The gaming handheld is equipped with a 5,220mAh battery in select global markets, including the EU, which can neither be removed nor replaced using widely available tools in the markets. However, in July 2023, the European Parliament published its new regulation concerning batteries and waste batteries, which aims to ensure that batteries on certain portable devices can be replaced and removed.

In compliance with the regulation, which is set to come into force next year, Nintendo plans to bring new versions of its currently available hardware, including the Nintendo Switch 2, with batteries that can be removed by end-users.

EU Mandate Forces Nintendo to Bring a Replaceable Battery Switch 2

In a document available on the company's website, Nintendo highlighted that, to comply with the EU Batteries Regulation 2023/1542, the tech firm plans to introduce new variants of its existing hardware next year. Since the Nintendo Switch 2 is the only console currently available for purchase via the company's online store in the region, the Japanese company could be referring to the same.

The company said that its current devices with model numbers BEE will be reintroduced in 2027 with an additional code “OSM”, visible on the packaging, while meeting the requirements stated by the EU law. Published by the EU Parliament in July 2023, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, concerning batteries and waste batteries, mandates that “certain appliances” sold in the region feature removable and replaceable portable batteries, which can be removed by the end-users using widely available commercial tools.

EU's law is set to come into action on February 18, 2027, giving the company less than a year to launch its Nintendo Switch 2 with replaceable batteries. On top of this, this also suggests that the tech firm might have to start selling the replacement batteries separately, allowing gamers to replace them at their convenience, “at any time during the lifetime” of the handheld console.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is currently listed in the EU at EUR 469.99 (roughly Rs. 52,000). To recap, the console was launched in select global markets in June 2025. It sports a 7.9-inch (1,080 x 1,920 pixels) LCD touchscreen, with up to 120Hz of refresh rate, and HDR10 support. A custom Nvidia processor powers the console, along with a 5,220mAh battery. It features 256GB of onboard storage, too.