Being a battery-powered portable device, the Nintendo Switch 2 console needs to undergo some hardware changes in Europe soon. New EU regulations regarding the Right to Repair and battery replaceability initiatives coming into effect are the cause behind this. This means both the hybrid console and the detachable controllers are getting revisions for the region.
Nintendo has posted an update on its support portal detailing what exactly will change on its hardware in the policy-affected regions.
"Starting summer 2026, in preparation for upcoming changes in European battery regulations coming into effect in mid-February 2027, selected Nintendo products in Europe will begin to be replaced on a rolling basis by revisions that contain a user-replaceable battery," said the company.
It added that there will be no difference in functionality between the old and new versions except for having the user-replaceable battery. However, there will be some difference in weight and battery capacity.
The Switch 2 with the new battery swap capability will weigh 10 grams more than the current version. Its battery capacity is going from 5220mAh to 5172mAh, which is a 1% decrease. The new Joy-Cons will have no change to the battery capacity, but the weight will go up by about two grams.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller has a bigger hit on the battery capacity, going from 1070mAh to 897mAh, a 16% drop. The weight will be lower, though, dropping 7 grams.
The rollout of these updated devices will begin with the Joy-Cons this Summer, Switch 2 consoles in Autumn, and the Pro Controller in Winter across Europe. Updated N64 and GameCube controllers with replaceable batteries are also incoming in 2027.
The revised products will be available in these territories:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Nintendo further confirmed today that the original Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED will stop being produced in February 2027 for European regions.