New Nintendo Switch 2 Update Makes Battery Upgrades Much Easier

Nintendo Switch 2 appears to be receiving a hardware revision that makes the console easier to access and repair. The change centers around the battery, which can now be removed without dealing with the adhesive used in the original design. The revised system also enables replacement of the battery with a higher-capacity option.

It looks like Nintendo has quietly upgraded the Switch 2, and it's more in line with right-to-repair. The secondary effect is that people are already trying to upgrade one specific part of the Switch 2. Many images of this new Switch 2 system are starting to surface. Some filings have already appeared online, but the revised system is now starting to go on sale at different stores.

Nintendo Switch 2 Gets an Internal Revision

The change was pushed by requirements that made certain systems easier to access and repair. If a system didn't have a specific reason to remain sealed, it needed to be easier to access things like the battery. On the Switch 2, or certainly the Switch 1, changing the battery has been a whole thing to figure out.

The battery is glued to the base of the system, so removing it can be difficult. I've seen people bend their batteries almost to 90° angles while trying to remove them. I've also seen people get sparks flying because they end up stabbing the battery. It's not great to try to replace that battery.

Nintendo's Switch 2 is closer to a 3DS battery design, where the battery isn't glued in and can be popped out. Internal images show the change, and there is also a simple way to identify the revised system. One big way to tell is a small visible screw on the front of the box.

Apparently, this version's model number is HLE, not HAE. The visible screw is probably the easiest way to identify it without opening the system. Nintendo has also made it easier to get into the system. Accessing the current Switch 2 takes some work, but the revised model removes some of those steps.

Standard Phillips Screws Replace Some of the Hassle

The revised design uses Phillips-head screws that are no longer covered by the side stickers. The blue and neon red-orange sections on either side are stickers on the Switch 2, and you have to peel them off on the current design. That can be annoying because of the adhesive. The stickers may not sit back down as flush as they did before you removed them.

On top of that, you may need tri-tip screws and drivers, which are much less common at a hardware store. A precision set might have one, but it may not be high quality and could strip the screw. Then it becomes a whole mess. The revised system uses more standard Phillips-head screws that can be removed from either side.

There also appear to be at least two screws on the back, with possibly more at the top. Once you remove those, the back appears to pop up. You will still have clips and other parts to deal with, but this newer model has far fewer screws and annoyances when removing the back. Once you remove the back, the battery is right there. At first, it might look like it could still be glued down or plugged into the board somewhere, but it isn't.

An 8,000 mAh Battery Fits the Revised Switch 2

The interesting part is that you can already upgrade the battery. The standard battery has a capacity of around 5,200 mAh, while larger replacement batteries are available. An 8,000 mAh battery has apparently been fitted into the revised Switch 2. It may have taken a little work to fit. The battery appears to be missing the bottom lip, but otherwise it fits.

It apparently makes contact in the same way as the standard battery, and the system works. With an 8,000 mAh battery installed, the person who tested it on Reddit shared some initial impressions while playing. Battery life will vary by game. Cyberpunk was mentioned as one of the more intensive games, so it can provide a better idea of how much the larger battery changes things.

In Cyberpunk, with manageable brightness and sound settings, the standard battery still lasts around two hours. That's not the 4 or 5 hours some people were getting from a V2 Switch, but the larger battery apparently added another hour of battery life. Going from 5,200 mAh to 8,000 mAh also makes that improvement align with the overall increase in capacity.

An easier-to-repair Switch 2 could also make battery upgrades more practical.

The Joy-Cons have gone through something similar, although their batteries were never as difficult to replace. The batteries were already plugged in, and they were typically the first thing you could access when opening the Joy-Con. The revised design appears to make the Joy-Con easier to open by repositioning the screws, adhesive strips, and other components.

Compared with removing the battery from the Switch 2 or the original Switch, the Joy-Cons were never the main issue. The thumbstick was always the bigger problem. Making the thumbstick easier to access would be a much bigger improvement. The joystick is immediately visible when you open the Joy-Con from the back, but you still have to remove everything to reach it.

The Switch 2 revision is still a good step. Making the battery easier to replace has already enabled people to experiment with higher-capacity replacements, which could give the revised hardware another practical benefit beyond right-to-repair.