As EU regulations on the "right-to-repair" of electronic products become increasingly stringent, game console giant Nintendo has been forced to compromise. According to a Nikkei report, in order to comply with the EU's mandatory requirement that portable electronic products must have batteries that are "easily replaceable by the user,"...New regulationsNintendo is preparing to launch a redesigned Nintendo Switch 2 handheld console for the European market, with not only changes to the main unit but also allowing players to replace the lithium batteries in the Joy-Con 2 controllers.
This is not only a classic example of how regulations can lead to changes in product design, but it could also determine the ultimate fate of the original Nintendo Switch in the European market.
With the 2027 deadline fast approaching, the Nintendo Switch 2 and Joy-Con 2 are undergoing a major structural overhaul.
This rumored hardware overhaul stems from the EU's 2023 battery regulations for portable electronic products. These regulations explicitly require brands to ensure that product batteries can be easily disassembled and replaced by ordinary consumers using basic tools available on the market, and provide companies with a grace period until 2027 to adjust their products.
Nikkei reports that Nintendo has begun designing a console version with a "replaceable battery" module to ensure the legal sale of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the European market. Notably, this specification also applies to paved Bluetooth controllers; therefore, the Joy-Con 2 controllers included with the Nintendo Switch 2 are also being redesigned to ensure that the internal micro-lithium battery can be individually removed and replaced by the player.
Global gamers are clamoring for it? Currently, the "removable battery version" is only available in Europe.
Based on currently available information, Nintendo has no plans to release this "replaceable battery" version of the Nintendo Switch 2 globally. However, gaming media outlet IGN analyzes that if more countries (such as the United States or Japan) follow suit with similar warranty regulations, Nintendo's regional strategy may have to change.
After all, having an expensive game console scrapped due to battery depletion is not good for consumers' wallets or the environment, and regulatory agencies in various regions are unlikely to ignore it.
Domino effect: Apple and Sony have compromised, and the original Nintendo Switch may face discontinuation.
The EU's stringent regulations have already triggered a huge domino effect in the tech industry. To comply with the regulations, Apple has modified the battery securing design in newer iPhones (for example, by introducing an electronically controlled release adhesive) to make battery replacement easier; and it is widely rumored that Sony is secretly updating the internal structure of its PlayStation 5 DualSense controller for the same reason.
Another bombshell from this regulation is that the original Nintendo Switch may face a complete halt to sales in the EU market by the end of 2027. Unless Nintendo is willing to redesign and re-molde a removable battery for this "elderly" console that is already nearing the end of its product lifecycle, simply withdrawing it from the European market may be a more cost-effective option.
However, Nintendo has not yet given an official response to the aforementioned reports about the battery modification.
