NINTENDO is discontinuing Nintendo Switch 1 in Europe next year after selling millions of the consoles over nearly a decade.
The tech giant has reassured UK gamers that their existing consoles will be completely unaffected.
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The original Nintendo Switch 1 console will no longer be sold in the UK and Europe from next February Credit: Nintendo
Other changes are being made to the Switch 2 so that it complies with European battery regulations Credit: Alamy
Nintendo has confirmed it will no longer sell the original Switch 1 consoles in UK, and Europe as a whole, from next February.
This is down to an upcoming change in European battery regulations, which state that electrical goods should feature user-replaceable batteries: a feature original Switch 1 consoles do not have.
As a result, Nintendo will no longer sell the original Switch, the Switch Lite, and the OLED model in Europe from February 2027 as they are not intended to be remodelled with user-replaceable batteries.
The upcoming battery regulations will only impact items bought after February, and will not affect any products sold before that time.
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Nintendo has confirmed that the original Switch, and other scrapped items, will be available throughout 2026 regardless.
In order to comply with the new European regulations, Nintendo has begun a roll-out of Switch 2 consoles and accessories with modified user-replaceable batteries.
This includes the Switch 2 console, Joy-Cons, Switch 2 Pro Controllers, and the Nintendo GameCube controller.
Nintendo also intends to release battery replacement kits for each affected product throughout Europe “in the future”, with no confirmed date given.
Expected to hit shelves as early as this autumn, the revised Nintendo Switch 2 will feature a smaller battery, while the new Joy-Con 2 controllers will contain user-replaceable batteries.
Nintendo confirmed on its website: “The first revised products are expected to become available from summer 2026, with additional products becoming available in autumn, winter, and early 2027.
“Due to a variety of factors, revised products may not become available in all European countries simultaneously.”
Released nearly a decade ago, the Nintendo Switch quickly became the best-selling console in the Japanese tech giant’s history, with hundreds of millions of units shipped worldwide.
Nintendo Switch products that are set to be revised due to new battery regulations
The following items will now be sold with new user-replaceable batteries:
Nintendo Switch 2 console – Autumn
Joy-Con 2 pair, Joy-Con 2 (L), and Joy-Con 2 (R) – Winter
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller – Winter
Nintendo 64 (N64) Controller for Nintendo Switch – Early 2027
Nintendo GameCube (GCN) Controller for Nintendo Switch 2
The following items will not be replaced by versions that contain user-replaceable batteries in Europe, and not be sold:
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Controller for Nintendo Switch
Pokémon™ GO Plus +
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch Lite
Nintendo Switch – OLED Model
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
SEGA Mega Drive Control Pad for Nintendo Switch
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Controller for Nintendo Switch
Following the release of the Switch 2 in June last year, the era of the original console drew to a close, with Nintendo stopping the release of new Switch 1 games.
Gamers have responded to this change, with one calling it the “glorious end of an era”, and another suggesting Switch 1 users are being “left behind”.
Nintendo, however, has reassured Switch 1 users that they will still be able to enjoy their console as usual, even after the upcoming changes.
The company said: “Nintendo Switch has an extensive library of games that continues to grow, and Nintendo Switch owners can continue to enjoy all their existing Nintendo games and accessories, and Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Switch Online, and other services will all continue for the foreseeable future.”
