Nintendo Of Europe announced that they will stop sales of the Nintendo Switch console by mid-February 2027. Nintendo won’t be selling the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch Lite, and the Nintendo Switch (OLED) to retailers and won’t be offering them directly through the Nintendo Store.
The discontinuation of the Switch, almost ten years since it debut in March 2017, is due to the new European battery regulations, that will take effect in mid-February 2027. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 will require batteries in consumer products to be replaceable.
Nintendo isn’t looking to revise the current Switch models to comply with the new regulations, so it is taking this opportunity to wind down sales for the previous generation portable console.
However, Nintendo Of Europe also announced a list of Nintendo hardware that are revised with user-replaceable batteries. This includes the Switch 2 console, the Joy-Con 2 controllers for Switch 2, the Switch 2 Pro Controller and the Nintendo Gamecube Controller for Switch 2.
It’s not just Switch 2 products that are getting revised. The Joy-Con controllers for Switch and Nintendo 64 Controller for Switch will also be getting new versions with user-replaceable batteries.
The new revised Switch and Switch 2 hardware with user-replaceable batteries are currently being rolled out, with availability coming in phases starting now until February 2027. The FAQ page lists the exact changes that comes with the new EU regulation-compliant hardware, which includes slight changes to battery capacity and weight.
It remains to be seen whether Nintendo has plans to have the revised Switch and Switch 2 products with user-replaceable batteries will be made available worldwide, or this is simply made to comply to regional regulations only.
Most of the Switch and Switch 2 and their controllers can have their batteries replaced, but will require some technical expertise and tools to access and safely do so, as they are not intended for the average user to replace them.