Nintendo has given us our first proper look inside the revised Switch Joy-Cons, publishing a pair of official support articles that detail exactly how the new removable batteries are meant to be replaced. As Video Games Chronicle reports, the guides cover the left Joy-Con (HAC-015-01) and right Joy-Con (HAC-016-01) for the original Switch, complete with internal photos and step-by-step instructions.
The headline point for anyone imagining a tidy battery door: it isn’t one. “User-replaceable” here still means opening the shell with tools, and Nintendo has designed the whole thing around a supplied kit rather than casual DIY.
Why is Nintendo changing the Joy-Con battery design?
Nintendo is revising the batteries to comply with EU legislation that requires consumer products with built-in batteries to allow easy removal and replacement from 2027. The EU Batteries Regulation was adopted in 2023, and it is pushing manufacturers to create hardware revisions with user-replaceable cells specifically for Europe and associated markets.
The original Switch Joy-Cons are the first products to get the treatment. After those come a redesigned Switch 2 console this autumn, the Joy-Con 2 controllers this winter, the Switch 2 Pro Controller this winter, and revised N64 and GameCube controllers for Switch in 2027. Nintendo has already confirmed the revision programme and that the UAE is among the markets set to receive it.
How does the new Joy-Con battery replacement work?
Replacing the battery requires a Nintendo Battery Replacement Kit, because users cannot normally access the cell directly. The kit includes the replacement battery, a PH00 Phillips (cross-head) screwdriver, plastic tweezers, a plastic spudger, and double-sided tape.
The procedure runs as follows: remove four small screws from the back of the Joy-Con with the screwdriver, pry the shell open with the spudger, pry out the old battery, disconnect the battery cables with the tweezers, apply fresh double-sided tape, then insert the new battery and reconnect it to the circuit board. It’s a genuine repair job — closer to a guided teardown than swapping AAs in a TV remote — but it does at least mean a worn-out Joy-Con no longer means a dead controller.
Does the new battery affect performance?
No — Nintendo says the revised Joy-Cons use the same battery type and capacity as the current ones, so battery life and performance should be unchanged. The same holds for the Joy-Con 2 controllers arriving this winter.
The picture shifts slightly for other hardware. The revised Switch 2 console will carry a battery with around 1% lower capacity than the current model, a difference small enough to shrug off. The revised Switch 2 Pro Controller, however, drops to a capacity around 16% smaller than the current version — a gap heavy Pro Controller users may actually notice over a long session.
Will UAE buyers get these revised models?
Yes — the United Arab Emirates appears on Nintendo’s list of territories receiving the revised Switch 2, Joy-Cons, and other controllers with user-replaceable batteries. Nintendo says these versions will be sold via the Nintendo Store, with traditional retail availability varying by country.
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