Thanks to new EU regulations, the next versions of Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck may come with replaceable batteries.
according to reports euro gamerThe European Union Council has announced a new regulation that will require all devices, including handheld game consoles, to have replaceable batteries by 2027.
As with Steam Deck and other existing devices, Nintendo’s current consoles are not expected to be affected, but the restrictions could affect the development of next-generation systems like the Switch successor. Businesses may object to the regulation, but the EU said the 2027 deadline would give “sufficient time for operators to adapt their product designs to this requirement”.
We also shared a quick overview of what this will look like for video game players. “The mobile battery can be removed from the product using commercially available tools and is considered to be easily removable by the end user. Do not use specialized tools unless provided free of charge with the product. .”
This change is part of the EU’s transition to sustainability. “Batteries are key to the decarbonization process and the EU’s transition to zero-emission transport,” said Teresa Rivera, Spain’s Minister for the Transition to the Environment.
“At the same time, used batteries contain many valuable resources and we must be able to reuse those vital raw materials rather than relying on third countries for supply.”
It’s unclear when Nintendo will release its next console, or if these regulatory changes will affect its schedule, but the Switch’s successor won’t come out for at least another year.
However, Steam Deck was released much more recently, so Valve probably isn’t that close to announcing its next mobile device (if at all). Several other companies have entered the handset market, including Sony, which is developing a PlayStation 5 streaming device called Project Q.
Ryan Dinsdale is a freelance reporter for IGN. He will talk about witchers all day long.
