EU-Compliant Nintendo Switch 2 Teardown Reveals Smaller Battery and New Design Tweaks
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
A hardware teardown of the new EU-compliant Nintendo Switch 2 model reveals a slightly smaller battery, added weight, and exposed screws designed to meet right-to-repair regulations.
The first wave of updated Nintendo Switch 2 consoles designed to meet European Union regulations has hit store shelves, and teardown videos are giving us a clear look at the internal changes. According to a detailed breakdown from YouTube channel Nintendúo covered by Eurogamer, the revised hardware features a slightly smaller battery with capacity cut down by about 1 percent, alongside a minor 14 gram increase in total weight. While the slight battery shrink might raise an eyebrow for portable gaming sessions, the hardware shift is a direct result of complying with the EU Right to Repair directive and updated regional battery standards.
The real story here is how these regulatory requirements translate to tangible changes in physical design and player ownership. The new revision removes the old anti-tamper stickers from the Joy-Con rails, leaving screws visibly exposed to make getting inside the chassis much more straightforward. Nintendo has also altered the internal heat shielding so the battery is no longer trapped underneath, wrapping the power cell in thick insulation instead. Nintendo plans to sell official replacement batteries complete with step-by-step guides, shifting the needle toward genuine device longevity and right-to-repair access that players have been advocating for across consumer tech.
For players picking up new hardware on a rolling retail basis, telling the versions apart takes a bit of a keen eye. The updated units feature visible screws in the rails and carry the OSM product code alongside an HLE serial number prefix in Europe. As regulatory pressure continues to shape how console manufacturers build and support their ecosystems, seeing a major platform holder embrace modular battery replacement marks a welcome shift for anyone planning to hold onto their hardware for the long haul.
Tags: Nintendo Switch 2, Hardware, EU Regulations, Right to Repair
Original article: Eurogamer