Nintendo Switch 2 EU Revision Teardown Shows 1 Percent Smaller Battery and Exposed Joy-Con Rail Screws

The first wave of EU-compliant Nintendo Switch 2 consoles has started landing on store shelves, and a fresh teardown confirms the trade-offs Nintendo made to satisfy the European Union's right-to-repair and battery rules.

In a side-by-side disassembly posted this week, the YouTube channel Nintendúo cracked open the launch Switch 2 and the new revision to show exactly what changed. The updated model ships with a battery roughly 48 mAh smaller, a one percent cut compared to the original 5,220 mAh cell. With Joy-Cons attached, the console is also about 14 grams heavier than the launch unit. The most obvious visual difference is inside the Joy-Con rails: the anti-tamper stickers that previously hid the screws are gone, so the Torx screws are visible as soon as you flip the console over. Pop the back cover off and the heat shield no longer extends over the battery, leaving the cell much easier to reach. To compensate, the battery itself is now wrapped in thick insulation.

Nintendo first detailed this revision in its support article on upcoming battery-related changes, published earlier this summer ahead of mid-February 2027 EU regulation deadlines. The new units carry the OSM product code and serial numbers that begin with HLE in Europe. Nintendo has also confirmed official battery replacement kits will be sold through the Nintendo Store in Europe, alongside step-by-step instructions for swapping cells at home.

The Switch 2 Pro Controller is set to follow during winter 2026 with its own battery cut, dropping from 1,070 mAh to 897 mAh and shedding about 7 grams, while the Nintendo 64 and GameCube controllers for Nintendo Switch Online will be revised in early 2027.

Retailers are receiving the new model on a rolling basis, so customers cannot choose between revisions at the point of sale. Buyers who want the user-replaceable battery will need to check the box, look for visible screws in the Joy-Con rails on the store page, or confirm the OSM product label before purchase.