Why Nintendo Might Be Forced Into Having A Removeable Battery For Its Handheld Consoles
Since the release of the Game Boy Advance SP in 2003, all of Nintendo's handheld consoles have made exclusive use of static rechargeable batteries. While it is technically possible to open up an SP, DS, 3DS, or Switch and remove the battery, the consoles weren't designed to make such a process easy, nor are there convenient channels to obtain replacement parts. If there was ever a problem with the battery on your Nintendo console, you were supposed to just send it in for repairs and let them handle it. However, due to changing global standards on electronic waste, that may change in the near future.
Last week, the Council of the European Union, a major intergovernmental body of the EU, passed new regulations stipulating that all handheld electronic devices sold in EU countries must feature removable and replaceable batteries, even if they are rechargeable. While devices like smartphones were at the top of the list of relevancy, the new regulations also apply to handheld gaming devices. This was confirmed as much by an EU representative who spoke to Overkill, who said that "the batteries of gaming handhelds are covered by the batteries and waste batteries regulation."
What this means for Nintendo
According to official documentation detailing the new EU regulations, electronic devices must feature batteries that are "readily removable and replaceable by the end-user at any time during the lifetime of the product."
The document also clarifies that a "readily-removable" battery is one that "can be removed from a product with the use of commercially available tools, without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless provided free of charge with the product".
So what does this mean for Nintendo? At the moment, probably not much. The Switch is still the company's major platform, and, at least at the time of writing, there are no confirmations of a new Nintendo system. However, as the regulations have a firm deadline of 2027, and the Switch likely won't still be Nintendo's main product by then, the company will need to start planning ahead.
The simplest solution for Nintendo would be to just add a removable battery pack to its next generation of console, assuming said console features handheld capabilities like the Switch does. If that option doesn't work, though, then Nintendo's only other avenue would be to scrap the handheld aspect and stick to home consoles. While this isn't impossible, given how heavily the Switch has been established as a hybrid system, Nintendo would likely be reluctant to scrap that feature.