© ROOT-NATION.com - Use of content is permitted with a backlink.
As early as next year, the original Nintendo Switch handheld console will disappear from European stores. And the reason for this decision won’t be the release of the Switch 2 (you can find our review of it here), as one might assume, but rather new EU regulations regarding batteries.
Read also: AERONAUT – everything that flies above the ground: aviation, UAVs and drones, rockets, and space
Nintendo will stop selling all versions of the original Switch in Europe starting in mid-February 2027. It is noted that sales will cease both for retailers and through the official Nintendo Store.
“Production of the Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch – OLED Model will continue into 2026, and these devices are expected to remain widely available in Europe throughout the year,” the technical support page states. – Starting in mid-February 2027, nearly 10 years after the Nintendo Switch’s launch in March 2017, Nintendo will stop supplying retailers with hardware from the Nintendo Switch family of systems, specifically: the Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch – OLED Model. Sales of Nintendo Switch hardware at the Nintendo Store will also end in mid-February 2027.”
Read also: Lenovo Legion Go 2 Review: More Powerful, More Comfortable, and Finally Featuring OLED
These changes are due to new European Union regulations. According to these regulations, starting February 18, 2027, all portable devices sold within the EU must allow users to replace the battery themselves. Therefore, Nintendo will gradually phase out the current models and begin releasing updated versions that meet the new requirements. The process will begin this summer. The company assures that there will be “no difference in functionality” between the old and updated models.
Read also: Reviews of gamepads for PC and consoles – choose the best one
The Switch 2 will undergo the most significant changes. According to Engadget, the version of the console with a replaceable battery is expected to go on sale this fall. At the same time, the compromises will be minimal. The new battery will have a capacity of 5,172 mAh instead of 5,220 mAh, and the console’s weight will increase by approximately 10 g. Updated Joy-Con controllers, the Switch 2 Pro Controller, as well as controllers for the Nintendo 64 and GameCube will be released gradually.
However, not all accessories will receive an update. The company will discontinue the original Switch Pro Controller, controllers for the Sega Mega Drive and SNES, and the Pokémon Go Plus+ accessory. No new versions with replaceable batteries are planned for these items. The new rules will apply to all 35 markets served by Nintendo of Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Spain, South Africa, the Baltic states, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, and others.
The company has not yet announced whether the sales discontinuation will affect other regions of the world. Given rising production costs and the transition to the Switch 2, completely discontinuing production of the older model may prove to be an attractive solution. However, the original console has not yet reached the end of its life cycle. New games are still scheduled for release on it, including *Rhythm Heaven Groove* and *Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream*.
Read also:
- Mobapad M12 HD: The Joy-Con Nintendo Refuses to Make
- abxylute N6 review: the Switch 2 grip that fixes Nintendo’s worst habit