Future Nintendo And PC Gaming Handhelds Could Be Required To Have A Replaceable Battery
New EU regulation is looking to cut down on waste products while enforcing a customer's right to repair their own hardware.
By Darryn Bonthuys on
Future handheld consoles and gaming PCs will be required to have replaceable batteries from 2027 according to newly passed European Union regulation, which will have an impact on new hardware released beginning that year. According to the EU papers (via Overkill), the aim of this regulation is to provide consumers with easy access to their batteries, as well as strengthen «sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries» that will regulate «the entire life cycle of batteries--from production to reuse and recycling--and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive.»
As noted by VGC, the documentation does leave some room for interpretation as it can't list every type of device that should be covered by the regulation, but an EU source reportedly explained to Overkill that gaming batteries are covered under the new regulation. The documentation also states that the battery needs to be «readily removable by the end-user» with commercially available tools and without requiring the use of specialized tools unless they are provided free of charge with the product.
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