Nintendo will stop selling Switch consoles in Europe and some other markets in February 2027, a few weeks before the console’s 10th anniversary. The company says it will continue to manufacture the Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch—OLED models throughout 2026 and notes that these variants “should be widely available in Europe all year round.” However, it will no longer sell the devices to retailers or through the Nintendo Store in some markets starting in early 2027.
It is unclear whether these changes will apply globally. Woozad has contacted Nintendo to clarify. However, it might make sense that the company will soon stop making and selling Switch 1 systems, amid rising manufacturing costs and the transition to Switch 2.
Nintendo is ending Switch sales in Europe to comply with new European Union rules that stipulate that certain devices must allow users to easily replace the battery. To that end, the company will phase out some existing product versions in favor of versions with user-replaceable batteries, including the Switch 2. It will begin selling a version of its current console with a replaceable battery in select markets this fall.
This revised Switch 2 will have a slightly lower battery capacity than the current version, at 5,172 mAh versus 5,220 mAh, which is about a 1% reduction. The system will be around 10g (0.4oz) heavier than the current model, with each Joy-Con 2 adding around 2g extra, bringing the total weight to around 548g (19.3oz).
Joy-Cons with replaceable batteries will start hitting shelves this summer, followed by Joy-Con 2 controllers this winter, as well as the Switch 2 Pro controller, the Nintendo 64 controller for Switch, and the GameCube controller for Switch 2. Nintendo notes that timelines could slip depending on factors like manufacturing and distribution. Some devices will not be replaced with versions with replaceable batteries. As such, Nintendo will be phasing out the Switch Pro, Sega Mega Drive, and SNES controllers for Switch and Pokémon Go Plus+.
The company says these changes will apply to markets served by Nintendo of Europe. These are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
