Nintendo has officially confirmed that a revised Switch 2 console will be releasing later this year. Nintendo released the Switch 2 last year to a strong response from the community, with the company’s latest home console/handheld hybrid flying off store shelves in its launch window. Even with the various economic challenges facing people around the world today, there is no denying that the Switch 2 has been a bonafide hit.
Nintendo tends to release hardware revisions for its various consoles, and the Switch 2 is no exception to the rule. While a truly transformative, worldwide hardware revision for the Switch 2 has yet to be announced, Nintendo is releasing a new version of the console in Europe.
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A New Switch 2 Model is On the Way
Nintendo has confirmed that its revised Switch 2 console will be released in Europe later this year. Nintendo is aiming for a fall release for the new console, which is being made to comply with Europe’s new battery regulations. The revised Switch 2 will have a 1% smaller, user-replaceable battery and its bundled Joy-Con 2 controllers will also contain user-replaceable batteries. The revised Switch 2 will be 10g heavier than the current model. Images of the new Switch 2 have not been revealed by Nintendo at the time of this writing. But while the Switch 2 may be the biggest Nintendo product to get a change as a result of Europe’s battery regulations, it’s not the only one.
Click on the game with the higher OpenCritic rating.
Nintendo is also releasing a new version of the Switch 2 Pro Controller with a replaceable battery this winter, while early 2027 will see updated versions of the wireless Nintendo 64 and GameCube controllers. Specific release dates for these updated products should become available as we get closer to their respective release windows. Nintendo has not announced any plans to roll out these hardware changes outside Europe, but it’s highly likely that hardware revisions will come at some point down the line.
Nintendo released multiple hardware revisions for the original Switch, including alternate models like the handheld-only Switch Lite and the fancy Switch OLED. Nintendo found success with these hardware revisions and so odds are that it will try similar things with the Switch 2 eventually. The ongoing RAM crisis and other factors have caused Nintendo to raise the price of the Switch 2, though, so it may be some time before fans see new models hit store shelves beyond the revision coming to European territories later this year.
In the US, the Switch 2 is getting more expensive starting September 1, with Nintendo raising the price to $499.99. The good news is that anyone interested in getting a Switch 2 will get a free game with their purchase, whether that’s Mario Kart World, Pokemon Pokopia, or Donkey Kong Bananza. It’s still disappointing to see video game hardware get more expensive as a generation goes on instead of cheaper, but at least Nintendo is trying to sweeten the pot for potential buyers.
Fans can expect a big push from Nintendo this holiday season. The Switch 2 will be getting the highly-anticipated Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake in the fall, with various other big-name exclusive games releasing between now and the holidays.
