The era of the original Nintendo Switch is drawing to a close in European markets. The company has announced that by mid-February 2027, it will cease supplying the entire Switch family — including the standard model, Switch Lite, and the OLED version — to both retailers and its own official web store. This move coincides almost exactly with the console's tenth anniversary.
EU Battery Regulations Drive Change
This strategic withdrawal is primarily driven by new European Union mandates requiring certain electronic devices to feature user-replaceable batteries. As the current Switch hardware does not meet these specific design requirements, Nintendo is phasing out the old generation in favor of compliant hardware rather than retrofitting existing models.
The Evolution of Switch 2
To align with these regulations, Nintendo is developing a revised version of Switch 2 specifically for the European market. This model will feature a swappable battery, resulting in minor hardware adjustments: a slight reduction in capacity to 5172mAh (down from 5220mAh, roughly a 1% decrease) and a total weight increase of about 10g, bringing the device to approximately 548g.
Beyond the console, Nintendo is updating its peripheral lineup. New Joy-Cons with replaceable batteries are expected as early as this summer, followed by the Joy-Con 2 and specialized controllers for Nintendo 64 and GameCube in winter. However, some legacy peripherals, such as the original Pro Controller and SNES/Mega Drive controllers, will not be updated and will eventually be discontinued.
Transition Timeline
Nintendo has clarified that production of the current Switch lineup will continue throughout 2026, ensuring that consoles remain widely available across Europe until the February 2027 cutoff. This window allows consumers to secure current-gen hardware while Nintendo streamlines its manufacturing processes for the global transition to Switch 2.
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