Nintendo to make new Switch 2 model with removable battery for EU, will new revision impact hardware profit margins?

Nintendo is preparing a new special Switch 2 variant with a removable battery that conforms to new EU tech laws.

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Nintendo will release a new Switch 2 model that adheres to the EU's revised right to repair laws, allowing users to easily swap out batteries for the handheld-console hybrid.

Asian publication Nikkei reveals that Nintendo will manufacture these new systems exclusively for the European market. The EU has mandated that all portable batteries in new consumer electronics be easily removable and replaceable by consumers, as part of EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542.

Stock Switch 2 models feature a 5,220 mAh battery that provides around 2 to 6.5 hours of battery life on a single charge, depending on the game and console settings. Nintendo recently released a new update that allows the Switch 2 to unlock GPU speeds for older games, yet playing a game in TV Mode while the Switch 2 is undocked in Handheld Mode can drain the battery considerably. It's unclear whether or not this model revised EU Switch 2 will have any adjustments to battery life.

What's also unclear is how this new model will affect Nintendo's hardware profits.

Currently, users have to do quite a bit of work to get to the Switch 2's battery. iFixit's Switch 2 teardown shows that there are 32 steps before users can remove the device's heat shield in order to swap the battery.

Any hardware revisions to a consumer device can affect its profit margins, sometimes drastically. Sony, for example, has made multiple revisions to its PlayStation 5 consoles in a bid to make them lighter and cheaper to produce--and ship--across the globe.

Reports indicate that the company is already taking a profit hit on its special Japan-only Switch 2 consoles. This has created an inverse profit loss situation where the losses are proportional to sales; if Nintendo sells more JP-only Switch 2s, it will lose more money on a per-console basis.

If Nintendo takes a loss on its new EU Switch 2s, then the company may increase the price of the console in the region--or perhaps even worldwide.