New Switch 2 in Europe gets a user-replaceable battery: what changed

A revised Nintendo Switch 2 is now reaching shelves in Europe, and its one big change is something handheld owners have wanted for years: a battery you can replace yourself. Nintendo explains the revision on its UK support page, and a teardown reported by Digital Trends shows what else is (and isn't) different inside.

Why Nintendo is doing this

It's about regulation. The EU Batteries Regulation requires that, from 18 February 2027, batteries in many portable devices sold in the EU can be removed and replaced by the user with ordinary tools. Nintendo started swapping in revised products on a rolling basis this summer, beginning with some Joy-Con colours, and the console itself was scheduled for October 2026. According to French site 01net, Nintendo will stop supplying European retailers with the original Switch family in mid-February 2027 rather than redesign it.

Original vs revised Switch 2

Nintendo says there is no difference in functionality between the two versions. The battery is about 1% smaller, so any change in battery life should be hard to notice.

How the battery swap works

Nintendo's official guide, covered by Notebookcheck, needs only a Phillips screwdriver and a replacement battery (model BEE-003), which Nintendo plans to sell as a parts kit. You remove nine screws, lift off the back cover and take the battery out. It connects through metal contacts instead of a cable, there's no adhesive, and the shape stops you inserting it the wrong way round. Follow Nintendo's method if you want to stay within its rules; prying the console open some other way is at your own risk.

What the teardown found

The X user modyfikatorcasper opened both models. Apart from the battery, the changes are a reworked motherboard and a different fan. Graphics, memory and cooling are not upgraded. Reports that the new model uses a Sharp-made screen aren't confirmed yet: the unit he opened still had the original panel.

How to tell which one you're buying

You can't pick on the Nintendo Store: when the old stock sells out, it's replaced by the new version. Shops may carry both for a while, so check the product code on the box or ask the retailer. The revision is rolling out across Nintendo of Europe's territories, including the EU, the UK, Norway and Switzerland, but not in every country at once.