From Nintendo Switch to Steam Deck, Gaming Handhelds to Have a Major Change After New EU Regulations

The speculations around Nintendo Switch 2 have been running for a while now. The console giant has made the gaming headlines for the good in the first half of 2023. From the early success of The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to a successful Nintendo Direct, the developers have capitalized on all the fan attention. But amidst the rumors of the next Switch, news from Europe might turn into a headache for the gaming handheld sellers.

The European Union has adopted new guidelines for electronic handheld devices sold in the market. Aiming to strengthen the sustainability and shelf life of range portable batteries, the EU announces all handheld gadget developers to have a user-replaceable battery. The EU also confirmed the inclusion of the gaming industry in the implementation. 

How will it affect developers like Nintendo Switch 2? 

The new regulations that are supposed to be followed by 2027, will have a high impact on the gaming handheld giants. All these developers like Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck would need to have removable batteries. This means gamers would now be able to change and replace batteries without needing any specialized tools.

The new guidelines will only impact new products. Although the guidelines are likely to face pushback from hardware makers as it might affect their retention traffic. 

The guidelines document also instructs the hardware developers to provide necessary instructions for battery replacement. It would also give the right to the power of repair for the consumers. Gaming analytics believe the upcoming plans for Nintendo Switch might be highly affected by the new policies. According to the fans, if the implementation of the guidelines takes place unopposed, it would turn out to be a huge game changer in the handheld industry.

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Hardcore Nintendo Switch fans might remember the ‘change of batteries’ format from before. For context, Nintendo was following the guidelines way before the EU decided to adopt the change. Nintendo’s very own Game Boy is a product based on the same format. Game Boys were one of the first gaming handheld products that saw such massive popularity. 

Well, if the Japanese gaming giant decided to turn back to Game Boy’s old format for Nintendo Switch 2, it would hit the correct nostalgic cord. This year has already been all about gaming giants banking on the nostalgic tangent of the community.

The rumors suggest that Nintendo Switch 2 is already in its final phase. So, ideally, we would have to wait on how the developers react to the new policy changes while managing a product release soon. 

What are your thoughts on the new EU guidelines? Let us know in the comments below.

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