Nintendo has released an updated Nintendo Switch 2 model in Europe that introduces a user-replaceable battery, a change first documented by YouTuber Nintendúo.
The revision arrives as new European battery regulations are set to take effect early next year, and Nintendo has adjusted hardware and packaging to comply while keeping the overall design and retail presentation familiar.
Packaging and model identifiers
The new Switch 2 retail box is visually similar to the original launch packaging but includes an "OSM" code on the updated box.
Internally, the revised hardware uses serial numbers that begin with "HLE," replacing the original model's "HAE" prefix; the console itself also carries the HLE designation.
At the Joy-Con 2 rail, Nintendo has added visible screws on the updated unit, a sign of the design changes that make component access easier.
Teardown findings — battery, weight and thermal design
A hands-on teardown by Nintendúo shows the most significant user-facing change: the battery can now be removed and replaced far more easily than before.
The update eliminates the previous need to remove a heat shield and deal with thermal paste in order to access the battery, simplifying repairs and replacements.
Weights and battery capacity
Measured weights show modest differences between models: the original Switch 2 weighs roughly 400 grams alone and about 534 grams with Joy-Con 2 attached.
The user-replaceable battery model weighs approximately 410 grams by itself, and the Joy-Con 2 is around 2 grams heavier, yielding a total increase of roughly 12 grams.
Nintendúo reported that the added weight felt negligible and was not perceptible during normal handling.
Battery capacity on the updated unit is marginally lower — a difference on the order of a single percentage point — which translates to only a few minutes less run time under full discharge conditions compared with the original model.
What this means for the original Nintendo Switch
Nintendo has not applied the same update to the original Nintendo Switch; in Europe, the company is retiring that console line instead of issuing a similar revision.
For those tracking Nintendo hardware, the Switch 2 update represents a concrete step toward easier user servicing in the European market.
For readers who want to see the full teardown and side-by-side comparison, Nintendúo's first-look video documents the disassembly and highlights the differences between the original Switch 2 and the new user-replaceable battery model.
The revision arrives as new European battery regulations are set to take effect early next year, and Nintendo has adjusted hardware and packaging to comply while keeping the overall design and retail presentation familiar.
Packaging and model identifiers
The new Switch 2 retail box is visually similar to the original launch packaging but includes an "OSM" code on the updated box.
Internally, the revised hardware uses serial numbers that begin with "HLE," replacing the original model's "HAE" prefix; the console itself also carries the HLE designation.
At the Joy-Con 2 rail, Nintendo has added visible screws on the updated unit, a sign of the design changes that make component access easier.
Teardown findings — battery, weight and thermal design
A hands-on teardown by Nintendúo shows the most significant user-facing change: the battery can now be removed and replaced far more easily than before.
The update eliminates the previous need to remove a heat shield and deal with thermal paste in order to access the battery, simplifying repairs and replacements.
Weights and battery capacity
Measured weights show modest differences between models: the original Switch 2 weighs roughly 400 grams alone and about 534 grams with Joy-Con 2 attached.
The user-replaceable battery model weighs approximately 410 grams by itself, and the Joy-Con 2 is around 2 grams heavier, yielding a total increase of roughly 12 grams.
Nintendúo reported that the added weight felt negligible and was not perceptible during normal handling.
Battery capacity on the updated unit is marginally lower — a difference on the order of a single percentage point — which translates to only a few minutes less run time under full discharge conditions compared with the original model.
What this means for the original Nintendo Switch
Nintendo has not applied the same update to the original Nintendo Switch; in Europe, the company is retiring that console line instead of issuing a similar revision.
For those tracking Nintendo hardware, the Switch 2 update represents a concrete step toward easier user servicing in the European market.
For readers who want to see the full teardown and side-by-side comparison, Nintendúo's first-look video documents the disassembly and highlights the differences between the original Switch 2 and the new user-replaceable battery model.