Nintendo has confirmed that the new model Nintendo Switch 2 hardware is on the way, the latest revision comes with a replaceable battery. However, Nintendo Switch 2 owners shouldn't be prepared to replace their current hardware, with a few possible exceptions.
It's worth noting that traces of this new Nintendo Switch 2 hardware actually leaked back in January, although it wasn't known what this new model was meant for at the time. Of course, the most obvious speculation was that Nintendo was already working on a Nintendo Switch 2 Lite or a Nintendo Switch 2 OLED, but it's worth noting that the replaceable battery is the only change to this new model.
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New Nintendo Switch 2 model with replaceable battery
A recent update to Nintendo's official website, specifically Nintendo of Europe, states that its products comply or will comply with all European Union directives and regulations. As it stands, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, which deals with batteries and waste batteries within the country, and which entered into force in February, mandates that “batteries integrated into certain devices and sold in the EU must be easily replaceable by end-users at any time during the product's lifetime”. As such, EU countries will see a new Nintendo Switch 2 model with a replaceable battery in the near future.
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“For current products with model numbers beginning with 'BEE', future compliant versions will have unique model numbers on the packaging and an additional 'OSM' code to identify them as separate products for regulatory purposes,” Nintendo states. And while this new model is official, it's not certain if it will have any impact on the Nintendo Switch 2's battery life, or if it's simply the same battery, just easier to replace if it goes bad at the end of the Switch 2's life. There is no mention, and perhaps unlikely, of this new model reaching outside of Europe.
The release date for these new OSM-Nintendo Switch 2 devices has yet to be confirmed, but they are likely to be released before September. As you should know, Nintendo has recently announced a worldwide price increase on Nintendo Switch 2 devices and it will take effect in September. For US device owners, that means anywhere from $449.99 to $499.99. For EU citizens, this is an increase from €469.99 to €499.99. That's not news anyone wants to hear, but as long as AI data centers continue to drain available RAM and storage, it's going to happen everywhere. Every gaming device has been affected, including the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and the latest Steam Deck add-on.
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This also throws a wrench into any plans for a Nintendo Switch 2 Lite or Nintendo Switch 2 OLED, presumably. Announcing and releasing new hardware would be difficult at this point, especially given the price hikes, but there's also the uncertainty that when all is said and done, memory stocks won't improve when RAMageddon is finally over. And even if they do, there's a bigger concern about whether companies will actually cut prices again. As such, while an eventual Switch 2 Lite model will almost certainly be cheaper than the base model, the OLED will only be more expensive.
