It’s been over a year since the Nintendo Switch 2 has been available and Nintendo is making a big change to its most popular console. Starting this autumn, new Switch 2 units sold across all 27 European Union member states as well as Norway, Switzerland, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa will feature user-replaceable batteries.

Nintendo Switch 2 updated battery specifications

Nintendo detailed the hardware update in a dedicated post on its website. The updated Switch 2 is getting a 5,172mAh battery, which is 1% less than the current version’s 5,220mAh cell. The revised console itself will be 10 grams heavier than before, coming in at 401 grams. Nintendo will also extend the user-replaceable batteries to the bundled Joy-Con 2 controllers.

If you’re wondering why Nintendo is so concerned over user-replaceable batteries all of a sudden, it has to do with two EU-specific regulations. The Right to Repair Directive, which goes into effect on July 31 this year, and the EU Batteries Regulation, which mandates easily removable and replaceable batteries on consumer electronics.

The latter goes into effect from February 2027 and requires that devices sold in the EU feature removable and easily replaceable batteries by the end user with commercially available tools.

Nintendo Switch 2 controllers updated battery specifications

Nintendo is obviously trying to get ahead of the directive and will also bring updated versions of its Switch 2 Pro, N64 and GameCube controllers featuring removable batteries. The new Switch 2 Pro controller is set to arrive this winter with a 16% smaller-capacity battery than the current version.