Nintendo will make a special Switch 2 with removable batteries—but only for the EU

The official compliance documents from Nintendo confirm that the Japanese gaming giant is designing a special version of the upcoming Switch 2, alongside its Joy-Con and Pro controllers, with easily replaceable batteries.

These specialized European models will bear an OSM marking, allowing players to swap dead batteries without needing a heat gun, proprietary screwdrivers, or a degree in micro-engineering.

This hardware redesign is a direct act of malicious compliance aimed at the European Union’s strict new battery regulations passed in 2023.

Starting February 18, 2027, the EU mandates that all portable devices sold in the region must feature batteries that users can easily replace themselves using basic, commercially available tools.

Since the new console is expected to launch before this deadline, Nintendo is rushing to split its production lines rather than making the user-friendly design a global standard.

Gamers in the United States, Japan, and other regions will likely continue to receive the classic, tightly sealed, anti-consumer hardware that requires professional repair or a complete replacement when the lithium-ion battery eventually degrades.

It is truly frustrating to watch a multi-billion-dollar corporation spend millions redesigning its manufacturing lines just to avoid giving the entire global market a basic, consumer-friendly feature. Corporate greed always finds a way to segment the world into the legally protected and the easily exploited.

Source: Nintendo