Nintendo to end original Switch sales in Europe by February 2027

Nintendo will stop selling all versions of the original Switch in Europe from mid-February 2027, weeks before the console's 10th anniversary. The move is driven by new EU regulations requiring user-replaceable batteries in portable devices beginning February 18, 2027 Source: The Verge.

Why the change

The EU rule mandates that from 2027, portable electronics must allow users to easily swap batteries. Rather than redesign the aging Switch models, Nintendo will phase them out in the 35 markets served by Nintendo of Europe, including the UK, Germany, and Saudi Arabia Source: Engadget. The company will instead roll out revised versions of the Switch 2 and certain controllers with replaceable batteries Source: The Next Web.

What's affected

• All original Switch variants—standard, Lite, and OLED—will be discontinued for sale to retailers and on the Nintendo Store Source: Gizmodo.
• Some accessories, such as the Switch Pro Controller, SNES and Sega Mega Drive pads, and Pokémon Go Plus+, will not get a replaceable-battery successor and will be retired Source: Engadget.
• The revised Switch 2 will ship with a 5,172mAh battery (a 1% reduction) and be about 10g heavier, with no functional differences Source: The Next Web.

What's next

Nintendo has not confirmed whether the discontinuation will extend beyond Europe. Sales of the original Switch have been declining—3.8 million units in fiscal year 2026, a 65% drop Source: Ars Technica—and analysts predict a global phase-out by late 2027 or early 2028 Source: Gizmodo. For now, first-party games like Rhythm Heaven Groove and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream are still releasing on the decade-old hardware Source: The Verge.