The European Union does what the U.S. won’t. Thanks to aggressive consumer protection regulations on the other side of the Atlantic, electronics manufacturers are required to make devices with replaceable batteries. That includes gaming handhelds like the Switch 2. Nintendo recently confirmed it will release a new version of the portable gaming console in 2027 to comply with the rules.
The new EU regulation goes into effect on February 18, 2027, and as spotted by The Verge, Nintendo has updated its corporate website to confirm the actions it’s taking in response. Namely, producing a new model of the Switch 2 that will let players easily swap out its battery should something with it ever go wrong or it just gets old.
“Nintendo is implementing measures to comply with these requirements by preparing versions of products to meet the Regulation,” the update reads. “For current products with model numbers starting with ‘BEE,’ 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.”
The Switch 2 is currently a nightmare to tinker with, likely by design. But that means that parts that can go bad over time, like the battery, are a headache to replace yourself. While Nintendo runs a global repair operation for its hardware, nothing beats being able to just order a part online and quickly swap it out yourself.
It’s still not clear exactly how Nintendo plans to redesign the Switch 2 for the European market to comply with the new rules. And we don’t know if this new version might eventually be sold on other continents as well. It would seem simplest for Nintendo to just make one version of the Switch 2 for all of its markets, but who knows.