The next generation of Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck will have to have replaceable batteries thanks to a new regulation from the European Union.
The Council of the European Union has announced a new regulation that requires all devices, including handheld game consoles, to have replaceable batteries by 2027.
Nintendo’s current console, similar to the Steam Deck and other devices already available, is likely to be unaffected, but the regulation could affect the development of next-generation systems like the Switch’s successor. While companies could resist regulation, the EU said the 2027 deadline gives “enough time for operators to adapt the desEsports Extrasof their products to this requirement.”
He also shared a brief summary of what this might look like for video game players: “A portable battery shall be considered easily removable by the end user when it can be removed from a product using commercially available tools, without the need for specialized tools, unless they are provided free of charge with the product.”
The change is part of the EU shift towards sustainability. “Batteries are key to the decarbonisation process and the EU shift towards zero emission modes of transport”said the USAMinister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera.
“At the same time, end-of-life batteries contain many valuable resources and we need to be able to reuse those critical materials rather than rely on third countries for supplies.”
