{"id":1840417,"date":"2026-03-22T18:14:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T15:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1840417"},"modified":"2026-03-22T18:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T15:14:10","slug":"thanks-to-eu-consumer-law-nintendo-is-updating-the-switch-2-design-to-enable-european-players-to-replace-the-battery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1840417","title":{"rendered":"Thanks to EU consumer law, Nintendo is updating the Switch 2 design to enable European players to replace the battery"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Thanks to EU consumer law, Nintendo is updating the Switch 2 design to enable European players to replace the battery<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Bat my Switch up.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Nintendo-mascots-such-as-Mario-and-Peach-celebrate-with-balloons-in-front-of-a-Switch-2-console-on-a-red-background.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Nintendo mascots such as Mario and Peach celebrate with balloons in front of a Switch 2 console on a red background\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Nintendo-mascots-such-as-Mario-and-Peach-celebrate-with-balloons-in-front-of-a-Switch-2-console-on-a-red-background.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Eurogamer<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1533038852.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1533038852.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/vikki-blake\">Vikki Blake<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-03-22T18:14:10+00:00\">March 22, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/thanks-to-eu-consumer-law-nintendo-is-updating-the-switch-2-design-to-enable-european-players-to-replace-the-battery?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          1 comment<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Nintendo is set to launch a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/platforms\/switch-2\">Switch 2<\/a> model in Europe that will allow owners to replace the battery.<\/p>\n<p>As reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nikkei.com\/article\/DGXZQOUF092EA0Z00C26A2000000\/\">Nikkei<\/a> (thanks, <a href=\"https:\/\/covergeek.com\/switch-2-new-model-europe\/\">CoverGeek<\/a>), the, er, switch comes as the company works to meet the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/news\/en\/press-room\/20240419IPR20590\/right-to-repair-making-repair-easier-and-more-appealing-to-consumers\">European Union&#8217;s Right to Repair directive<\/a>, as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2023\/1542\/oj\/eng\">European Battery Regulation<\/a>, which insists rechargeable battery-powered devices in consumer products must permit batteries to be replaced by 2027.<\/p>\n<p>This means both Switch consoles and Joy-Con controllers will need to enable players to safely remove and replace problematic batteries without resorting to sending them away for repair or replacing the device completely. It&#8217;s not yet clear when the new model will be available.<\/p>\n<p>Nikkei suggests a similar change could be implemented in the US and Japan, but only if consumer protection laws change.<\/p>\n<p>Players have been lamenting the Switch 2&#8217;s battery life for some time now. Back in June 2025, when the new model was released, Tom wrote: &#8220;I&#8217;ve been using the Switch 2 for about a week and a half, playing it for multiple hours every day. Aside from the fact that I&#8217;ve had a lot of fun with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/mario-kart-world\">Mario Kart World<\/a> and Fast Fusion, my main take away from that time is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/as-much-as-it-pains-me-to-say-it-the-switch-2s-short-battery-life-is-a-real-bummer\">I wish the battery lasted longer.<\/a>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/the-nintendo-switch-2-just-got-a-huge-update-that-brings-a-surprise-upgrade-to-loads-of-your-old-switch-games-with-a-few-exceptions\">Nintendo released a new update for both the Switch 2 and Switch<\/a>, bringing the system software up to Version 22.0.0. Along with the usual stability fixes, language additions, UI improvements in the Nintendo eShop, and so on, there&#8217;s also a significant feature that&#8217;s going to make a lot of your older games run better on the Switch 2&#8217;s fancy new hardware: Handheld Mode Boost.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>Nintendo is set to launch a new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/platforms\/switch-2\">Switch 2<\/a> model in Europe that will allow owners to replace the battery.<\/p>\n<p>As reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nikkei.com\/article\/DGXZQOUF092EA0Z00C26A2000000\/\">Nikkei<\/a> (thanks, <a href=\"https:\/\/covergeek.com\/switch-2-new-model-europe\/\">CoverGeek<\/a>), the, er, switch comes as the company works to meet the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.europarl.europa.eu\/news\/en\/press-room\/20240419IPR20590\/right-to-repair-making-repair-easier-and-more-appealing-to-consumers\">European Union&#8217;s Right to Repair directive<\/a>, as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2023\/1542\/oj\/eng\">European Battery Regulation<\/a>, which insists rechargeable battery-powered devices in consumer products must permit batteries to be replaced by 2027.<\/p>\n<p>This means both Switch consoles and Joy-Con controllers will need to enable players to safely remove and replace problematic batteries without resorting to sending them away for repair or replacing the device completely. It&#8217;s not yet clear when the new model will be available.<\/p>\n<p>Nikkei suggests a similar change could be implemented in the US and Japan, but only if consumer protection laws change.<\/p>\n<p>Players have been lamenting the Switch 2&#8217;s battery life for some time now. Back in June 2025, when the new model was released, Tom wrote: &#8220;I&#8217;ve been using the Switch 2 for about a week and a half, playing it for multiple hours every day. Aside from the fact that I&#8217;ve had a lot of fun with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/mario-kart-world\">Mario Kart World<\/a> and Fast Fusion, my main take away from that time is that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/as-much-as-it-pains-me-to-say-it-the-switch-2s-short-battery-life-is-a-real-bummer\">I wish the battery lasted longer.<\/a>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/the-nintendo-switch-2-just-got-a-huge-update-that-brings-a-surprise-upgrade-to-loads-of-your-old-switch-games-with-a-few-exceptions\">Nintendo released a new update for both the Switch 2 and Switch<\/a>, bringing the system software up to Version 22.0.0. Along with the usual stability fixes, language additions, UI improvements in the Nintendo eShop, and so on, there&#8217;s also a significant feature that&#8217;s going to make a lot of your older games run better on the Switch 2&#8217;s fancy new hardware: Handheld Mode Boost.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Thanks to EU consumer law, Nintendo is updating the Switch 2 design to enable European players to replace the battery Bat my Switch up. Image credit: Eurogamer News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on March 22, 2026 1 comment Nintendo is set to launch a new Switch 2 model in Europe that will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1840417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1840417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1840417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1840417\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1840417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1840417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1840417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}