Nintendo Is Pulling The Plug On The Switch In Europe

The EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries and battery waste kicks in on February 18, 2027 across the entire European Union. The rule requires that batteries built into consumer electronics must be easily replaceable by end users at any point during the product’s lifecycle. Manufacturers who want to keep sealed batteries face a tough alternative. The battery must retain at least 80 % of its original capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles. The device must also hit IP67 waterproof rating.

Facing hardware overhauls that are too expensive to pull off, Nintendo will not modify any model in its current hybrid lineup. The company will stop supplying the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch Lite, and the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model to European retailers by mid-February 2027. Sales through the Nintendo Store across Europe will end the same week. The decision officially caps off a run that started in March 2017, roughly 10 years earlier.

Gamers who already own a Nintendo Switch can breathe easy after this reveal. The European rule does not apply to any product sold before February 18, 2027. Existing owners can keep enjoying their consoles, games, and accessories without a single restriction. The Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Switch Online service, and every other online feature will keep running with no changes on deck.

Nintendo‘s European lineup now shifts entirely toward the Nintendo Switch 2, which was built with the new regulation in mind. Compliant models will carry an OSM code tagged onto the standard model number starting with BEE. The Joy-Con 2 controllers also come with a redesigned setup featuring user-replaceable batteries. Some rumors even hint at a future Switch 2 Lite to keep a budget-friendly option alive in the European market down the line.