Nintendo is building a second Switch 2 hardware revision for the European Union that replaces the current glued-in battery with a user-swappable one, Nikkei reports. Both the console and the Joy-Cons will get replaceable batteries. The Japan model stays unchanged.
The driver is EU regulation, not consumer goodwill. A rule taking effect in February 2027 requires portable devices sold in the EU to support easy battery replacement. Nintendo is moving early, with the revised unit expected to ship soon.
The full Nikkei report is worth reading for what it signals beyond Nintendo: this is the EU battery law producing its first major console redesign, and it sets a precedent for how Sony and Microsoft will have to respond before the 2027 deadline.
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