An updated regulation from the European Union indicates that all electronic devices will be required to have replaceable batteries starting from 2027. The Council of the EU aims to “regulate the entire life cycle of batteries – from production to reuse and recycling – and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive” through the new regulation.

As confirmed by Overkill, it means that portable gaming consoles sold within the EU, like the ROG Ally and the Nintendo Switch, will be mandated to feature removable batteries. They also suggest that hardware makers are likely to push back against the regulation, and that there will undoubtedly be various interpretations of the legislation when it comes to compliance.

VGC adds that the new regulation is expected to apply to newly introduced products after its implementation in 2027, and that existing models released before the regulation's enforcement would likely remain unaffected by this requirement.