Future Nintendo And PC Gaming Handhelds Could Be Required To Have A Replaceable Battery

Future handheld consoles and gaming PCs will be required to have replaceable batteries from 2027 according to newly passed European Union regulation, which will have an impact on new hardware released beginning that year. According to the EU papers (via Overkill), the aim of this regulation is to provide consumers with easy access to their batteries, as well as strengthen "sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries" that will regulate "the entire life cycle of batteries--from production to reuse and recycling--and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive."

As noted by VGC, the documentation does leave some room for interpretation as it can't list every type of device that should be covered by the regulation, but an EU source reportedly explained to Overkill that gaming batteries are covered under the new regulation. The documentation also states that the battery needs to be "readily removable by the end-user" with commercially available tools and without requiring the use of specialized tools unless they are provided free of charge with the product.

For gaming devices, the new regulation won't force gaming manufacturers to instantly scrap the design of existing hardware once it comes into effect. But new Nintendo, Steam Deck, or ROG Ally models may be obliged to allow users the right to repair, as opposed to the current hardware models that make it difficult to get to the internals of a device without specialized tools.

Nintendo handhelds haven't had easily replaceable batteries since the days of the Game Boy Color, which still used AA batteries, and throughout the Nintendo 2DS and 3DS era, a special cross-head screwdriver was needed to open those systems up when replacing the battery inside. The original Nintendo Switch also has a labor-intensive process just to replace its battery.

Rulings like this also have an impact on how the system is designed worldwide, with one notable example being the next iPhone that is reportedly adopting the USB-C standard due to new EU regulations.

Nintendo's Switch successor is likely to be out before the European Union battery deadline kicks in, and while it hasn't been announced yet, a recent report said that development on the machine is reportedly coming along well, and it's speculated that electronics manufacturer Sharp is reportedly supplying LCD screens for the new handheld.