Nintendo: battery-related revisions to some products coming to Europe; Nintendo Switch to be discontinued in the region in mid-February 2027
In February 2027, a new European Union regulation related to batteries will come into force. In order for the wide variety of electronic products (including consoles, phones, laptop, etc.) which contain a battery to be (legally) sold in the EU, said battery need to be user-replaceable. Devices like the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2, and their accessories, are impacted by this regulation, which is why Nintendo is going to start rolling out revisions of some of its products across Europe (and other countries).
Starting Summer 2026, select products will begin to be replaced by revisions that contain a user-replaceable battery. But do not expect improved performance or extra features or anything: Nintendo has confirmed there will be no difference in functionality between the products currently available and the revisions (though in some cases, the battery life will be slightly lower, and the products slightly heavier).
Here’s the list of products that are getting revisions:
- Joy-Con pair (selected colours), Joy-Con (L) Neon Blue, Joy-Con (R) Neon Red
- Nintendo Switch 2 console
- Joy-Con 2 pair, Joy-Con 2 (L), Joy-Con 2 (R)
- Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
- Nintendo 64 (N64) Controller for Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo GameCube (GCN) Controller for Nintendo Switch 2
And here’s the list of products that are NOT getting revisions, and will therefore be discontinued:
- Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Controller for Nintendo Switch*
- Pokémon™ GO Plus +
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo Switch Lite
- Nintendo Switch – OLED Model
- Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
- SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad for Nintendo Switch*
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Controller for Nintendo Switch*
Nintendo will no longer offer the above-named products on Nintendo Store after mid-February 2027. Regarding availability at retail, please check with your local retailers in the future for more information. Products marked with * are only available on Nintendo Store.
In other words, all variants/models of the Nintendo Switch console and its accessories (except the Joy-Cons) will be officially discontinued in mid-February in Europe. So if you want to buy the console, make sure to do so as soon as possible to avoid any surprises, though Nintendo expects it to be widely available throughout the year.
Presumably, Nintendo did not deem it worth it to design a revision of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, or Nintendo Switch – OLED Model with a replaceable battery (and only in Europe to boot), which is why the console is being discontinued altogether in that region.
Right now, it’s not clear when it will be discontinued in other regions (North America, Japan, etc.). Today’s announcement regarding the revisions and the discontinuation of the Nintendo Switch only apply to the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Here’s the official statement from Nintendo on the matter:
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model will all continue to be manufactured in 2026, and should be widely available in Europe all year.
From mid-February 2027, almost ten years after Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, Nintendo will no longer sell to retailers hardware in the Nintendo Switch family of systems – specifically Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model. Sales of Nintendo Switch hardware on Nintendo Store will also end in mid-February 2027.
Regarding availability at retail, please check with your local retailers in the future for more information. Nintendo Switch has an extensive library of games that continues to grow, and Nintendo Switch owners can continue to enjoy all their existing Nintendo games and accessories, and Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Switch Online, and other services will all continue for the foreseeable future.
Back to the revisions. Right now, it’s not clear when exactly those will be rolling out, but the first batch (Joy-Cons) is expected to hit retailers from Summer 2026, with a gradual rollout throughout the rest of the year and early 2027. Also, not all countries will receive the revisions at the same time, so you’re advised to contact your retailer for further information (unless you don’t care about replaceable batteries!)
The table belows shows some technical details about the revisions, along with the estimated earlier availability on the Nintendo Store.
| Product | Estimated earliest availability in Nintendo Store | Updated specifications |
| Joy-Con pair (selected colours)* Joy-Con (L) Neon Blue Joy-Con (R) Neon Red | Different colours will be available at different times throughout the year, starting from summer | Battery capacity: No change Weight: No change |
| Nintendo Switch 2 console | Autumn | Battery capacity: 5172mAh, approximately 1% smaller than current version (5220mAh) The included Joy-Con 2 controllers will also contain user-replaceable batteries. Weight: Approximately 411g, around 10g heavier than current version (approximately 401g). With Joy-Con 2 controllers attached: Approximately 548g, around 14g heavier than current version (approximately 534g). |
| Joy-Con 2 pair Joy-Con 2 (L) Joy-Con 2 (R) | This winter | Battery capacity: No change. Weight: Joy-Con 2 (L): Approximately 68g, around 2g heavier than current version (approximately 66g). Joy-Con 2 (R): Approximately 69g, around 2g heavier than current version (approximately 67g). |
| Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller | This winter | Battery capacity: 897mAh, approximately 16% smaller than current version (1070mAh). Weight: Approximately 228g, around 7g lighter than current version (approximately 235g). |
| Nintendo 64 (N64) Controller for Nintendo Switch | Early 2027 | Battery capacity: No change. Weight: Approximately 234g, around 1g heavier than current version (approximately 233g). |
| Nintendo GameCube (GCN) Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 | Early 2027 | Battery capacity: 525mAh, approximately 5% larger than current version (500mAh). Weight: 215g, around 5g heavier than current version (210g). |
* Joy-Con Pair (Blue/Neon Yellow), Joy-Con Pair (Neon Green/Neon Pink), Joy-Con Pair (Neon Purple/Neon Orange), Joy-Con Pair (Neon Red/Neon Blue), Joy-Con Pair (Pastel Pink), Joy-Con Pair (Pastel Pink/Pastel Yellow), Joy-Con Pair (Pastel Purple/Pastel Green), Joy-Con (L) Neon Blue, Joy-Con (R) Neon Red.
The current estimated timings may change, depending on manufacturing, distribution, and other factors. More information will be shared shortly before each revised product becomes available.
Regarding the Joy-Con 2: those coming with the revision of the Nintendo Switch 2 will have a replaceable battery. Stand-alone Joy-Con 2 with replaceable batteries will come later this year.
Needless to say, if you already own one of the products getting a revision, you can keep using it without any problem whatsoever. The revisions are only meant for Nintendo to comply with the regulation; there are no flaws with the batteries of products currently available.
Source: Nintendo
