Nintendo is planning to launch versions of the Switch 2 hardware in the EU that will let users easily replace batteries. To meet its obligations from the new EU regulation that comes into effect on February 18, 2027, Nintendo states on its website that it is “implementing measures to comply with these requirements by preparing versions of the products to meet the regulation.”
Thanks to EU regulations, gadgets with user-replaceable batteries are making a comeback, as my colleague Dominic Preston recently wrote. From February 2027, EU rules mandate that many types of gadgets, including portable game consoles, must allow users to remove and replace their batteries relatively easily.
Nintendo hasn’t specified what changes it will make with this new version of the Switch 2 to make battery replacement easier — currently, removing the battery in the Switch 2 is an involved, multi-step process, as shown by iFixit. It is also unclear whether the revised model with replaceable batteries will be available in other regions. Nintendo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On its website, Nintendo says that, “For current products with model numbers beginning with ‘BEE'” – which is used with the Switch 2, as shown in Nintendo’s filings with the FCC – “future compliant versions will have unique model numbers and the additional code ‘OSM’ visible on the packaging, designating them as separate products for regulatory purposes.” Switch 2 controllers like the Pro Controller and Joy-Cons also carry the BEE moniker, and we asked Nintendo if they’ll also have user-replaceable batteries.
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