Nintendo will stop selling the original Nintendo Switch family in Europe from mid-February 2027. The move also affects Switch Lite and Switch OLED Model hardware, while Switch 2 and several accessories will receive updated versions with user-replaceable batteries. The shift is being driven by new European Union battery rules.

Nintendo is preparing for a major change in Europe that will affect not only Nintendo Switch 2, but also several devices that use built-in rechargeable batteries. Reports about updated Switch 2 hardware have circulated in recent weeks, but the unexpected part is the fate of the original Nintendo Switch family. Nintendo will not revise the first hybrid console line to meet the new European requirements, and will instead stop selling Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED Model hardware to European retailers from mid-February 2027.

The change is linked to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, which introduces new requirements covering battery sustainability, safety, labelling, marking, recycling, disposal, and consumer information. One of the regulation’s most important points is that users must be able to remove and replace batteries in affected consumer electronics more easily. The rules take effect on February 18, 2027, giving technology companies until that date to bring relevant products into line with the new requirements.

Nintendo is not waiting until the deadline approaches. According to the company’s official information page, selected Nintendo products in Europe will gradually begin to be replaced with revised versions containing user-replaceable batteries from summer 2026. Nintendo says the new versions will not differ in functionality from their current counterparts, meaning these are compliance-focused hardware revisions rather than a new generation of products. The first updated devices will go on sale during summer 2026, with availability expanding as the European Union deadline gets closer.

The original Nintendo Switch family will not be part of that transition. Nintendo says Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED Model hardware will continue to be manufactured in 2026 and should generally remain available in Europe throughout the year. From mid-February 2027, however, Nintendo will cease selling Nintendo Switch family hardware to retailers, and the same change will affect the Nintendo Store.

The company has published a detailed table explaining which devices will receive revised versions, when they are expected to launch, and how their battery capacity and weight will change. Most of the changes are relatively minor, but the revised Switch 2, Joy-Con 2 controllers, Pro Controller 2, and N64 and GameCube controllers will all differ slightly from existing versions. Nintendo says this information is intended to make it easier for customers to understand exactly which updated hardware they are buying in Europe.

Source: 3DJuegos, Nintendo, EUR-Lex