- A new Nintendo Switch 2 model with replaceable battery will be released soon
- The new model will be sold to comply with new EU battery legislation.
- The new regulations will come into force in February 2027
Nintendo has announced that it will soon launch a revised Switch 2 model with removable battery in Europe to comply with new regulations.
In a recent post on its website (via The Verge), Nintendo said it will comply with a new regulation called EU Battery Legislation, which was passed in 2023 and requires companies to make products with replaceable built-in batteries by February 18, 2027.
“Nintendo of Europe (‘Nintendo’) and its products comply with all applicable European Union directives and regulations,” the company said. “Many of them are directed at the protection of the environment, as well as consumer health and safety with respect to the manufacture, supply and use of Nintendo products.”
While the company didn’t specify the Switch 2 itself, it did confirm that “current products with model numbers starting with ‘BEE'” will see revisions, which would include the Switch 2, which has a model number BEE-001.
Other Switch 2 accessories, such as the Joy-Con 2 controller and Switch 2 Pro controller, also have model numbers starting with BEE (BEE-012, BEE-014, and BEE-008) and have built-in batteries, suggesting they could also get revised models.
“The Battery Regulation aims to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing, distribution, use, disposal and recycling of batteries and rechargeable batteries,” Nintendo said. “In doing so, it prohibits the supply of rechargeable batteries and accumulators with certain hazardous metal content and establishes requirements for the labeling of batteries, their safe removal from devices, their collection and recycling.
“Nintendo products fully comply with these requirements and Nintendo fully cooperates with authorized regional institutions to facilitate the proper collection and environmentally sound recovery or disposal of its batteries.
“In addition, the Regulation requires that starting February 18, 2027, batteries built into certain devices and sold in the EU must be easily replaceable by end users at any time during the product’s lifespan. Nintendo is implementing measures to comply with these requirements by preparing versions of products that comply with the Regulation.”
For now, there is no information on what the new Switch 2 model will look like or if it will see a price increase.
Last month, Nintendo announced that the console will see a significant price increase, rising in the US from $449.99 to $499.99 starting September 1, 2026, in “response to various market conditions.”
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