Nintendo to End New Sales of Every Original Switch Model in Europe by Mid-February 2027

Nintendo confirmed this week that it will stop selling the original Switch, the Switch Lite, and the Switch OLED Model to retailers and on its own European store starting in mid-February 2027. The decision appears in an updated company FAQ that also covers battery changes across its current hardware lineup.

Since the release of the original Switch in March 2017, the three models have served as Nintendo’s primary portable and home gaming range. In 2019, the Lite version was released as a smaller, less expensive option that did not include detachable controllers. The OLED Model was introduced in 2021, featuring a larger, higher-quality screen and enhanced acoustics. All three will continue to ship from manufacturers until the end of 2026, so stores around Europe should still have plenty of stock for the majority of next year.

From mid-February 2027 onward, the company will simply discontinue shipping new units to retailers or selling them directly. The cutoff was clearly stated in Nintendo’s support pages: the original Switch family would no longer be available from retailers or the Nintendo Store in the region after that date. The time is almost exactly ten years after the system’s initial debut.

The change is the result of new European Union legislation requiring many electrical products to use replaceable batteries. Those rules will go into force around February 18, 2027. Nintendo has already begun updating their newer items to match this requirement. Later this year, Nintendo will release revised Switch 2 consoles with user-replaceable batteries, as well as upgraded Joy-Con 2 controllers and other accessories. The previous Switch models did not get the same updates. Nintendo decided not to update them with changeable batteries and instead established a definite date to discontinue sales in Europe. According to the company, current versions of the Switch 2 and accompanying accessories will work similarly to the upgraded versions, with the addition of a repair option.

Existing Switch owners will see no immediate change. Nintendo stated that support for games, accessories, the eShop, and online services will continue for the foreseeable future. The majority of new first-party releases have already been shifted to the Switch 2 platform, while shoppers looking to purchase a brand-new original Switch, Lite, or OLED Model after early 2027 will have to rely on remaining supplies in retailers or resort to the used market.