Nikkei Shimbun reports that Nintendo will introduce a revision of Switch 2 console and Joy-Con to make the battery removable and replaceable by the users. They will be available in Europe only (to start). Nikkei doesn’t give an exact timing or mention Pro Controller.
EU Regulation 2023/1542 requires that “portable batteries in appliances should be designed so that users can easily remove and replace them” from 2027-02-18. While Nintendo didn’t provide a comment to Nikkei, Sony stated that “we plan to provide guidance to the relevant regions at an appropriate time”.
Replacing the battery in the revised Switch 2, however, probably won’t be as simple as changing AA batteries in a remote. Look at the newly released MacBook Neo: It is considered regulatory compliant, but still requires the user to remove 28 screws and disconnect 3 cables to take out the battery (images source: iFixit).
P.S.: With lithium batteries becoming easily replaceable by consumers, I hope that no one is foolish enough to seek out the cheapest or the most powerful replacements from shady sources.
[Originally posted on 2026-03-20 and -21 Pacific Time]
