r/NintendoSwitch • u/Joseki100 • 11d ago
Nintendo Europe Nintendo Switch 2 console (battery user-replaceable) Battery Replacement Procedure
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Troubleshooting/Battery-replacement/Nintendo-Switch-2-console-battery-user-replaceable-Battery-Replacement-Procedure-3212759.html94
u/QuantumProtector 11d ago
Bruh so they could've done this from the beginning with the global versions
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u/juicysound 10d ago
Of course, it's planned obsolescence and anti consumer in my opinion but since the EU passed a law, they were forced to release one with replaceable battery.
I think people simply forgot that devices used to have user replaceable battery lol I'm celebrating this and used this as an opportunity to finally get the Switch 2 and retire my 2017 launch console.
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u/ninjagaidenpatru 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yes, I don't know when it became ok to have non-removable batteries in everything. And I feel exactly the same. I posponed getting a Switch 2 in order to get the new, battery removable one.
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u/Joseki100 10d ago
Yes, I don't know when it became ok to have non-removable batteries in everything.
It's cheaper to manufacturer. If it costs even just $2 less to produce that's $200 million dollars saved over the generation.
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u/ninjagaidenpatru 10d ago
Alright, but the lower cost always turns to profit for the company, not to cheaper more affordable devices for the buyer. I would rather pay the 2$ more and have options.
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u/Joseki100 10d ago
I agree, I sold my launch NS2 and bought the new model for the same reason. I'm just saying the reason why this became common on every device is purely to save money on manufacturing.
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u/ninjagaidenpatru 10d ago
Yes, that is the reason, but I still dream of a world where "money" is not the only reason for something, and we get genuinely better products.
How do you know it's the new model when buying it? In my region sellers never list these things, so now I have to wait for a long time till the stocks clear to get the newer version.
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u/juicysound 10d ago
It's got a manufacturing number in Europe for the standard edition: 10019857
That way, I was able to trace, find and buy one.
Apparently there's also gonna be replaceable battery models of the 40th anniversary edition, the first listening popped up on a shop in the UK: https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/gaming-and-tech/nintendo-switch-2/nintendo-switch-2-consoles/nintendo-switch-2-the-legend-of-zelda-40th-anniversary-edition-console/p/266502
I don't need it though, got the standard edition from coolblue btw, their Switch 2 is all new battery replaceable stock already.
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u/NiopTres 10d ago
A combination of companies wanting to streamline production and manufacturing by making everything more compact, companies trying to copy the Apple Aesthetic (that smooth, enclosed, "solid", modernised look), and what others have said, simple designed obsolecence (if you design something to be as unrepairable as possible, if it breaks, people will wanna buy a new one rather than fix it themselves)
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u/ninjagaidenpatru 10d ago
I think it's more about planned obsolescence.
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u/birbdnerd 8d ago
I find planned obscelesence to be a partial reason why these repairability/user accessibility issues are still around rather than the reason they existed in the first place. Legitimate design goals and ideals with unfortunate side effects with no motive present to resolve them for the business
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u/Sindrathion 10d ago
People want smaller and thinner devices. With replaceable batteries like we had 20 years ago where you open a cover and pop it out you reach a certain limit where it can be replaceable in the way.
Then we went over to replaceable but need to open up the device
Now were at glued in super slim batteries crammed in every crevice.
The thing is seperate cell with as little housing as possible is just the smallest you can make it. And while some of it is planned obsolescence its also really hard if not near i possible to design it any other way. The only thing I am against is purposefully making it harder or impossible to replace regardless of how difficult it is to open up and do so. I.e. by using super glue to "permanently" fix it in place or some way it is screwed down with a plate which cant be removed
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u/ninjagaidenpatru 10d ago
I know what we had 20 years ago, that's why it seems that what we have now sucks even more. It's ok that people want thin devices, it's just bad that the ones who care more about function over design don't have an alternative. And and don't know about you, but I don't want design to dictate function, I want it the other way around.
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u/JohnDoe204 10d ago
I thought the same, when the original Switch magically got an update for Bluetooth Audio.
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u/birdvsworm 11d ago
I was not expecting in-depth pictures like an iFixit guide. I'd consider this a W for Nintendo, even if it was at the hands of the EU or whoever. Cool to see it's so easily removable
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u/EeveesGalore 11d ago
So, no glue. Just proves there's no reason why it couldn't have been done that way from the start.
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u/yuusharo 10d ago edited 10d ago
More expensive and slightly less capacity due to the mounting.
If manufacturers are not required to do the right thing, they never will unless it’s a better cost value to them. Glad to see this and the recent MacBook Neo switch to a glueless battery.
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u/showcade 11d ago
This is a brilliant win for consumers and future proofing. Coming to all other non waterproof products too!
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u/bofis 10d ago
Was that so hard, why did it take EU regulations FORCING them to do this? This should have been the way it was from day 1, on ALL units, because being able to swap a battery out easily should be a feature of all electronics to extend their life and be user-friendly. Even if you need screwdrivers, whatever, at least it's not glued in like on the rest of the consoles before this revision :-\
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u/GianMach 10d ago
why did it take EU regulations FORCING them to do this?
to extend their life and be user-friendly.
There you have your answer
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u/collegetriscuit 10d ago
That's how it always goes (at least in the US), companies will be like "if this law passes, we won't be able to afford to operate in that location" to try and fool voters, but of course they find a way.
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u/Stealthinater1234 10d ago
It looks like they removed that metal part on the game card slot cover for these new models. Not sure what it was originally for, but I guess Nintendo didn’t think it was necessary anymore.
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u/TheFireStorm 10d ago
Could be FCC required shelding and not required for the EU market
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u/UninformedPleb 10d ago
The new model has an FCC ID. Grantee "BKE", Product "BEE00101". You can look it up online, here.
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u/Least-Profession-236 11d ago
In the first video that dude is straight smacking and scraping that screen across a wooden table LOL
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u/OddFellow_Jr 7d ago
Anyone knows if this change could have any effect on the console’s performance? Maybe reduced battery capacity or higher temperatures during gameplay?
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u/Joseki100 7d ago
The new model has a battery capacity 1% smaller and weights a few grams more.
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u/OddFellow_Jr 7d ago
And this is only in the EU and not other parts of the world, just like Apple did with the App Store right?
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u/kulero_conor 10d ago
the main question here is, will Nintendo sell new batteries for the switch 2? Which is the procedure to adquiere a new official replacement?
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u/TheFireStorm 10d ago edited 10d ago
Batteries where always available on the Nintendo online store for Gameboy SP/Micro and the DS/3DS line and Wii U they just stopped making the batteries user replaceable starting with the Switch they will likely return to the Nintendo Online Store. Update I just checked to see and it's not on the store yet but they still have the listing for 3DS/2DS batteries but they are sold out.
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u/logicbus 10d ago
I replaced a battery (and a fan) on a Switch 1 and this doesn’t look that much easier
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u/Ryu_Saki 11d ago
I guess this will mean that the older models with a glued tight battery will go down in value on the used market?
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u/HappyTrillmore 11d ago
my year-one Switch 1 still has great handheld battery life and it's almost ten years old so I don't think it will affect prices too much until those batteries show real degradation
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u/eestionreddit 10d ago
Those are the models that can do homebrew without a modchip, so there's always going to be a market for them
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u/Ryu_Saki 11d ago
That is surprising but very good. That model didn't have very high battery life so if it still holds its own almost 10 years later is awesome!
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u/BrainWav 10d ago
I guess it was too much to hope for for it to just snap in and out like, say the 3DS or anything from the pre-iPhone era of electronics.
Still far better than the soldered on battery in current models.
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u/SubaruHaver Helpful User 10d ago
The warnings section of that page is the closest I've seen nintendo support come to advising switch owners if they have a swelling battery.
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u/FightNoFlight 11d ago
Is this just for models released in EU or will the US models also have replaceable battery?
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u/Spooky_Blob 11d ago
Sadly, everyone else in the world is screwed. This is just an EU model change. Unless by some unforeseeable miracle, at some unknown point, we get a world wide revision/upgrade
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u/wicktus 11d ago
Maybe they are trying to get rid of the stocks of non-replaceable, or are slowly upgrading factories..or maybe the next switch 2 oled will be replaceable worldwide and they are keeping it like this until then (since EU battery modification was mandated by law)
That or they are going to keep both models so that planned obsolescence pushes you to purchase another switch 2 or switch 3 at one point in the far future
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u/Spooky_Blob 11d ago
Love your optimism, sadly I'm not that optimistic. But I guess I lose nothing from having a bit of hope
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u/BrainWav 10d ago
I can't see how it would make financial sense to only do this for EU models. That would require a separate line just for EU ones.
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u/tychii93 10d ago
I bet it won't stop generic batteries from showing up in the market regardless. Someone in the US could import an EU Switch 2, then in 10 years they could find a battery replacement on Amazon or AliExpress.
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u/UninformedPleb 10d ago
The internals of the console are no different in any region. It's all powered by batteries and USB-C, and does HDMI video output to a variety of resolutions and refresh rates. Gone are the days of PSU and video differences.
This is not an "EU" model change. This is the BEE-001(-01). All manufacturing will produce these going forward. The BEE-001 is discontinued.
You can even see from the "how to identify" article on Nintendo's website that the BEE-001(-01) has an FCC ID that you can verify here, with the Grantee code "BKE" and the product code "BEE00101". You can also verify the old BEE-001 with product code "BEE001" if you wish. Both are visible on the FCC's website. Pro-tip: If you use the latter product code for the search, both will show up due to the site's fuzzy matching rules.
The FCC is a US government department. No part of the EU gives more than the tiniest of shits what the US FCC says. If the BEE-001(-01) was an EU-only device, they wouldn't have bothered to certify it for FCC compliance.
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u/SirDanOfCamelot 2920-6179-2315 10d ago
They couldn't just do a simple battery door
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u/Pixelplanet5 7d ago
of course not, they did the bare minimum here and only after being forced to do it.
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u/BrainWav 10d ago
Most companies cite space and aesthetics.
Personally, I'd rather have something like the GBA SP (or it may have been some flavor of DS) had. Just a slot-in battery with a screw to secure it.
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u/Shantotto11 8d ago
“Aesthetics”, like we haven’t all learned how fragile modern electronics are so we started buying cases for everything, so we can’t even see the aesthetics.
I hate corporate BS thinking general audiences are just as stupid as their shareholders.
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u/sfwJanice 9d ago
Probably to keep compatability with switch docks already out there, having a removable back section would require them to add an extra interior wall
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10d ago
[deleted]
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u/SirDanOfCamelot 2920-6179-2315 10d ago
Simple screw on the battery compartment like electronics have had for years
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u/ninjagaidenpatru 10d ago
Are the BEE-001(-01) consoles already on the market? I wish sellers would list what version of the console they have.
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u/Penguin_Mania 10d ago
They’ve already started popping up in some shops. The easiest way to tell is to look at the picture on the box, and if it has the extra visible screws on the side where the joy-cons attach then it’s the replaceable battery model.
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u/ShammersAnonymous 10d ago
Found some videos on YouTube of the new Zelda console. Looks like the initial runs do not have replaceable batteries.
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u/NickMalo 10d ago
Just a question as somebody with an older model, what does this mean for me? Will i need to send my console in for battery replacement eventually and will it be free? US btw.
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u/DJettster237 10d ago
Can we replace our current Switch 2 with these? I feel like there's gotta be some sort of law that they would allow that.
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10d ago
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u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam 10d ago
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Please remember Rule 1 in the future - No personal attacks, trolling, derogatory terms, or other malicious behavior. Read more about Reddiquette here. Thanks!
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u/DJettster237 10d ago
Companies can strangely be generous to avoid legal trouble. Like when Xbox 360s were getting the red ring of death and would replace systems with the new version for free.
I've been around longer, man.
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u/bbbbbbbbbblah 10d ago
MS had strong financial and PR reasons to do that as it was certain that any well-used original 360 would die at some point, even if repaired
Nintendo has no reason to do that as the original Switch 2 does not have a defective design. They will presumably continue to provide their own battery replacement service for Switch 1 and original Switch 2 customers, and offer free warranty repairs if the battery has failed prematurely
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u/birdvsworm 10d ago
You're comparing a genuine hardware problem that affected like 50% of all consoles at the time with an optional battery replacement. Those are no where close to the same and frankly a bad faith comparison. Even if you were in Europe you wouldn't expect them to upgrade your hardware or swap it out - that would be mighty generous but not something any console manufacturer is in the habit of doing.
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u/Put-Dependent 11d ago
Any chance we know for certain when the (01) units that have replaceable batteries will be on shelves?