Hey Nintendo, US Gamers Want The Same Switch 2 Revision That's Headed To Europe

Gamers in the European Union are getting a revised version of Nintendo's popular Switch 2 console that will make battery replacements a cinch, according to a Japanese news report. Assuming the report is accurate, the special hardware revision is in response by recent EU regulation that requires portable devices to have user-replaceable batteries.

Technically, you can swap out the battery in the Switch 2 handheld as it currently exists, though it's not especially easy and you risk damaging the console. In a teardown analysis of the console, the folks at iFixIt scored the Switch 2 handheld a dismal 3/10, dinging the system for annoyances such as hiding screws behind stickers and using glue to hold the battery in place.

"There are some bright spots, like the fan, speakers, breakout boards, and Joy-Con connectors. But none of it matters much if Nintendo keeps treating repairability like an afterthought[...]Nintendo, you've got some work to do," iFixIt wrote.

Source: iFixIt

For Switch 2 owners who want to embark on the process, the site posted a battery replacement guide that will walk you through the steps, though obviously you will need to proceed at your own risk.

That is going to change for users in Europe, with Nintendo purportedly revising the handheld to make it easier to remove and swap out the lithium-ion battery. Same goes for Nintendo's Joy-Con 2 controllers. That's the good news.

The bad news is that Nintendo is said to only be revising the Switch 2 in the EU and not in any other region where it is not required by law. The paywalled report (as spotted by CoverGeek) suggests that Nintendo could eventually implement the same design change to consoles in Japan and the US, but only if pressured to do so as awareness of the right-to-repair movement intensifies.

One other thing that is worth monitoring is how the legislation will affect the first-generation Switch. Nintendo's original Switch models have been a runaway success, having recently overtaken the DS as Nintendo's best selling console of all time, but there is speculation that Nintendo may discontinue the console in Europe as a result of the legislation.