Nintendo has announced a brand-new version of the Switch 2. However, there’s a huge catch, as it’s currently only announced for one region, meaning most fans will have to pay more if they want to get their hands on it.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has celebrated its first anniversary, and fans aren’t expecting any new upgrades or iterations just yet. If anything, it’s going to be more annoying to buy the existing model, considering the Switch 2 is receiving a price increase in September, meaning the current ones will be in a greater demand for the time being.
Europe Is Getting a New Nintendo Switch 2 Model
It seems that legislation is forcing Nintendo’s hand, as the company has announced a new Nintendo Switch 2 model to satisfy legal requirements. Nintendo has announced on its official website that a new Nintendo Switch 2 console and accessories are being released in Europe, to meet the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, which pertains to batteries.
To meet these new legal requirements, Nintendo has to release a version of the Switch 2 with a battery that’s easy to remove and replace, as the WEEE Directive is all about cutting down on waste pertaining to people throwing away electronics due to battery faults. The same will also be true of the Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers.
The New Nintendo Switch 2’s Battery Feature Should Be A Worldwide Change
It must be frustrating for Nintendo to have to design a new Switch 2 unit specifically for one market, especially with the current hardware price issues that are forcing price increases across the gaming sector. However, easy-to-remove batteries should be a standard across the industry, especially when it comes to devices like smartphones, where battery degradation is a huge issue.
The question is whether Nintendo will make these changes across the board, or whether Europe will just have its own line of Switch 2 systems for the foreseeable future? It would make more sense for Nintendo to standardize designs across the board, even if an improved Switch 2 (similar to the OLED Switch) is likely years away.
Hopefully, Nintendo makes the new Switch 2 design the standard. The WEEE Direction might be annoying for hardware manufacturers, but it’s going to be doing great things for the environment, considering how many people throw away devices due to batteries going dead, because they’re too difficult to easily access, usually requiring the dismantling of the device, which can void warranties.
It’s unclear when these new Nintendo Switch 2 units will be released, but it will almost certainly be after the September price increase. This means that European gamers will be paying extra for the privilege of being able to easily take out and replace a battery.