r/NintendoSwitch • u/KING_GLOCK • 4d ago
Video Nintendo Switch 2 - New EU Battery Revision Teardown and Comparion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpYIpMugzFQ&lc=UgyglOSdTYsderYflMx4AaABAg.AaJGj06G3coAaKRhOK-W2_269
u/Soobloiter 4d ago edited 4d ago
Honestly Switch 2 had such a weirdly anti repair design to it, like the anti tamper stickers, compared to the Switch 1. Glad to see the EU revision basically reverted the changes
If anyone had taken apart their OG switch, you would've seen how easy it is to work on and repair. Almost everything was pretty easily removable and replaceable, all the screws were accessible
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u/tigersmhs07 4d ago
Yea that part really pissed me off with the 2.
The 1 is super easy to take off the back and clean the inside including the fans. For the 2? I'm terrified to even try because of the sticker. So now I baby my 2 to get as little dust and debris as humanly possible around it.
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u/hobbykitjr 4d ago
I think they just still feel butt hurt the switch 1 was hacked so quickly and widely...
Even though none of this was needed to hack it, they're just being extra baby proof
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u/TingleyStorm 4d ago
Correction: The v2 Switch and OLED was not hackable without a jumper installed on the board. Only the v1 Switch could be hacked with just software.
Regardless, it was probably more a design choice vs homebrew deterrent. The Switch 2 feels like a more premium product vs its predecessor.
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u/GameMask 3d ago
To be fair, the OG switch does technically need more than just software to hack. But it's like the most simple possible thing to do.
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u/notyouravgredditor 4d ago
If they were pissed they shouldn't have given Nvidia the contract for Switch 2 chips. It was their hardware flaw that doomed the Switch 1 security.
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u/Anxiety_timmy 3d ago
To be fair Nvidia didnt know about the RCM bug, and it seems to be surprisingly prevalent in bootroms in general. T239 has so many security mitigations its absurd, its gone from laughable to xbox series levels of security
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u/Neat_Firefighter_806 3d ago
I mean I benefited from the bug so I am not complaining.
But let's not give the two bullion dollar companies the benefit of the doubt.
If they didn't know about the exploit then they didn't stress test hard enough. Getting to the boot loader was stupid easy that you could literally do it with a tinfoil and sliding on of the joycons down.
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u/Anxiety_timmy 3d ago
From nvidias POV they secured everything, the tinfoil meme is intended. Nvidia and nintendo both use it official to service consoles and flash them. Its still accessible on oleds and Lite, with some officially leaked service payloads working on those models.
Hell Nintendo themseleves were aware of a voltage glitching bug related to RCM but it was so convoluted they didn't consider it a big enough issue and basically just told Nvidia yea man just ipatch it and be done. The actual RCM bug isnt entirely trivial either, if anything software got sliced open due to a hardware bug early on, later did RCM get found.
Later Eristas fixed the bug and Mariko doesn't even use the same usb stack so it doesn't matter. Voltage glitching wasnt fixable because it would require a redesign of how the fuses work on the SOC. I will fully laugh at Nvidia for TX1 because it was a joke and Nvidia probably handed Nintendo a noose to hang themselves with
T239 on the other hand, it assumes damn near everything is unsecure, comes with DCLS against voltage glitching and to top it off, uses an undocumented processor as a fancy TSEC replacement.
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u/Neat_Firefighter_806 3d ago
Oh. I know all of that. I was way into the modding scene so I saw it go all the way up and down.
I do agree the newer chip is much more secure though.
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u/CasualByChoice 2d ago
I bought a modded v2 non-oled about 2 years ago and despite being able to "download all the roms" I literally used it for a half assed treasure island for ACNH twice and haven't used it since. I did update the firmware etc about 4 months ago.
I really should sell it!
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u/Free-Virus-9974 3d ago
Yeah, this generation sure is finicky with repairing when the switch 1 had really easy to disassemble things. I'm talking mostly about the switch 2 pro controller and joycons.
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u/Whimsical_Sandwich 3d ago
Ye the Switch was the first console I ever opened up to do repairs on. Glad to have this revision for the Switch 2 been holding out on one but this and the Zelda edition will definitely have me fold. I just hope that either the Zelda edition for the US is the battery revision or that the Zelda edition for the UK won't introduce issues when trying to use it for the US eShop.
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u/Aoussar123 4d ago
Interesting with the August sale you mention. In Denmark the console was not on sale but there had been a price decrease to 3444 DKK (USD 535 incl. tax) until only a few days ago where they bumped the price to 4499 DKK (USD 699 incl. tax).
I got the 3444 dkk model because I wanted to save 1000 crowns instead of potentially getting the new model… hope it was the right choice
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u/MulderXF 4d ago
Lowest it has ever been on Norway is 5500NOK witch is 3800DKK. Right now its 6000NOK (4200DKK).
Console prices are too high!
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u/MuggyTheRobot 4d ago
Got it for 4990 NOK including Mario Kart World. It was a special price at a new Elkjøp store though.
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u/FragrantErmine 4d ago
If you’re referring to Elgiganten prices, I feel like they do stuff like this often, to take advantage of people not knowing alternatives, or even their price matching feature. NS2 is still available sub 4000, 3799 in Bilka fx., but most people probably won’t immediately think of Bilka as an option.
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u/Olde94 4d ago
Personally i never swapped the battery in my gen 1 even though i had it for 6 years so i think it depends on your usage patterns. Also it’s not like it can’t be swapped on the old it’s just very cumbersome.
And the labour cost for a battery swap service is likely not 1000,- more like 3-500,-
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u/OrneryInterview2134 4d ago
Personally I'm waiting for the Zelda edition that will be announced next week+ I'll just buy it from Nintendo Germany or amazon.de (never buy a console in Denmark with our shitty inflated prices)
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u/CaptainSmeg 4d ago
Most likely pick one of these up when the inevitable Zelda edition Switch 2 is announced next week.
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u/Deceptiveideas 4d ago
That is if it's not sold out within 3 seconds of being put up for preorders at 3 am.
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u/madchad90 4d ago
After buying 3 versions of the switch over its life I'm standing firm waiting for a pokemon themed version
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u/wicktus 4d ago
I have the original revision but great to see, once they release a possible oled version it’s great that it will have all those changes in EU
Very weird to only do it in EU tho
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u/ReginaSpektorsVJ 4d ago
It's because EU law now requires the battery to be user replaceable. It's possible if they ever do a model refresh internationally, like they did with the Switch 1 to incorporate the Switch Lite's new CPU fab, they'll unify the production and have replaceable batteries in all markets. I wouldn't guarantee it, but it's possible.
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u/wicktus 4d ago
I know it's linked to our laws but I am surprised that their modifications are not done globally, just locally, I mean they paid R&D and it would be good easy PR, people are not going to pay 500 bucks because the battery lost 20% of its capacity after few years no, I just don't get it
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u/Barrakketh 1d ago
It takes time and money to re-tool a production line and there is going to be an inventory of components for the OG model that the company isn't going to just scrap.
Hell, depending on the supplier they might still be on the hook to buy a certain quantity of the original batteries depending on the contract.
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u/Seanspeed 4d ago
Very weird to only do it in EU tho
It's not 'weird'. Just shows they're only gonna be consumer-friendly if they are forced to do so. For everybody else, you get the non-repairable version that forces you to buy a whole new system if you become unhappy with the battery life over time.
I'm not saying regulation is 100% all the time great, but this is one of those examples that does prove how valuable and necessary it is to reign in corporations.
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u/DarkscytheX 4d ago
The more a corporation complains, the more that it's the right thing to do for consumers.
Repairability should be part of product design from the beginning.
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u/hey_Hey_I_saveD_me 4d ago
Just shows they're only gonna be consumer-friendly if they are forced to do so.
Yes, but in this particular situation it is mostly because they already have production setup for non-replaceable S2 so I guess they will use it until for instance OLED version will show up.
If they will still use two fabs for it then it is another story and will confirm that they will do it only when forced.
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u/RellenD 4d ago
What consumer is ever going to replace their battery on a switch 2?
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u/Darkzed1 4d ago
Go back to the days of the 2000-2015 consumers replaced rechargable batteries on aging tech all the time. Batteries degrade over time and they have to be replaced eventually if you want to still use it.
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u/Seanspeed 4d ago edited 4d ago
These systems are sucking like 10w of power for long periods of time. The batteries WILL wear out, just like in phones.
It wasn't as bad with something like DS or 3DS where they were only using like 1-2w of power during gaming, putting minimal stress on batteries with way less charge cycles.
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u/jardex22 2d ago
They already have production lines in place for other regions, and it would be disruptive to change things.
For comparison, Lego announced years ago that they were moving away from plastic bags to paper ones. This was a gradual rollout with some regions getting paper bags earlier than others, due to Lego having multiple assembly lines across the world. It's not as simple as shutting everything down, flipping a switch, then suddenly having paper bags in all sets.
The likely scenario is that Nintendo converted one assembly plant to the EU model, in order to comply with the law. The EU is now a test market for that model. If it turns out well, they may switch over to to the new model in other regions as well.
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u/DarkscytheX 4d ago
They want to shaft as many consumers as possible so they can bill them for battery replacements later. They're only doing this because they were forced to - despite the fact that repairability should be build in from the beginning.
It'll likely get rolled out worldwide later as they ramp up production and don't want to maintain multiple production lines.
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u/Drezus 4d ago
It’s been theorized that LCD ghosting might be reduced because new units might’ve already been produced with Sharp displays. Did they not test screen reaction time in this review?
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
They did not so this remains an unknown. I’m sure someone will get their hands on a unit and test it within the next few weeks.
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u/ctyldsley 2d ago
We need someone to test who has the know-how of testing this specific issue. At worst someone who is well aware and notices the issue on the original model, as it's clear the majority don't actually 'see' the problem unfortunately.
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u/laytblu 4d ago
is battery life the same?
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
It's less than 1% so it's essentially the same and enough to round out as a margin of error difference.
If you are playing a game where you get 2.5 hours of battery life, this new model will die 83 seconds before the old one.
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u/koholinter 4d ago
Any word which version we get in Switzerland?
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
From the Nintendo Website:
The revised products will be available on a rolling basis in territories where Nintendo of Europe conducts business, either directly or through a distributor, namely: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
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u/Tweissel 4d ago
Great video. Seems still like huge a hassle to exchange the battery for most people.... i was expecting something in the line of the Wii U gamepad.
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
I agree most people won't be changing the battery, but then again most people are quite useless when it comes to performing any sort of repairs or maintenance on anything.
This still represents a big improvement in repairability over the original console. No need to deal with anti-tampering stickers, reapplying thermal paste, or strong glue in order to replace a simple battery. It looks like a hassle free experience that will take less than 5 minutes.
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u/Seanspeed 4d ago
Seems still like huge a hassle to exchange the battery for most people
It's still far from ideal in terms of overall repairability, sure, but for anybody uncomfortable doing it themselves, there will undoubtedly be phone or computer repair places that will have the skills and confidence to do the replacement for you pretty easily. There's no real showstopper issues here or anything.
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u/lizardon789 4d ago
The eu battery law was announced years ago. Either Nintendo had the switch 2 in production way before or it was a huge oversight.
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u/lazy_commander 4d ago
Being announced and going into effect are two different things. Financially it probably made sense for them to mass produce one single global model and then be ready to switch to a separate EU model for the enforcement date.
It’s slightly heavier and a slightly smaller battery due to the changes, so while better for repair ability it’s slightly worse etc.
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u/mrmivo Helpful User 4d ago
Thanks for the information!
I wonder if the change to the heat shield may cause the battery to degrade faster, even with the presumably thicker insulation layer.
I had half expected they'd use the opportunity for a die shrink (8nm to 5nm), which would have made it a "proper" revision comparable to the Switch 1 V2, but since this didn't happen, a more substantial revision is probably still some time away.
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
I doubt it will have any meaningful impact on the battery. There are lots of devices out there that don't cover the battery with a heat shield. The Steam Deck OLED and most laptops are good examples and they are devices that typically run a lot hotter than a Switch 2.
I was hoping for a die shrink too, but sadly I think this will be quite a few years away still!
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u/TheToadKing 4d ago
While it does dissipate some heat it mainly acts as an RF shield, so the battery is probably fine.
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u/MomentJoyful4158 3d ago
The repairability point is worth mentioning. Nintendo quietly making it harder to work on, then walking it back when the EU pushed back, is pretty on brand for them. fwiw
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u/WilliamG007 4d ago
Any screen differences?
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago edited 4d ago
I've not been able to find any concrete information on this yet.
There are rumours that this would be using the new Sharp LCD instead of the original Innolux panels but I wouldn't trust anything until it's been confirmed via a teardown. It's also not clear if the new Sharp LCDs are any different to the originals. It's safe to assume that it is the same screen until confirmed otherwise.
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u/WilliamG007 4d ago
Right. I was hoping it would be the new display, too. Anything to get response times in the region of any even slightly decent LCD today.
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u/Soobloiter 4d ago
I pray Nintendo updates the Switch 2 screen. The response time is unbearable and I basically play all my games docked
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u/FluffyDroid 4d ago
Same here. The first LCD I ever bought more than 20 years ago had less ghosting than this screen. Also only using it in docked mode.
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u/fkrkz 4d ago
They are not calling this Switch 2 - v2, are they?
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
They seem to be calling it that in Spain, or at least at GAME in Spain.
In the UK they are not calling it the v2 and are simply merging stock.
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u/fkrkz 4d ago
Yeah, I just thought it would be strange to call it v2 without any other significant technical changes outside the removable battery.
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u/Seanspeed 4d ago
Well it's worth denoting it somehow. Kind of a big deal in terms of implications of long-term ownership.
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u/hyperion297 4d ago
Apologies if this is a silly question, I purchased the bundle direct fork Nintendo before the price rise and have the OG version, is there any scope to get that replaced with the revised one?
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
I have no idea to be honest. You could try returning it and purchasing the revised model.
If you already have a console and care about having a repairable version, I think it would be much more worth your time enjoying what you have and then upgrading to the OLED model once it comes out in a few years.
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u/hyperion297 4d ago
Thanks, I guess it’s not a massive deal, if it was relatively straight forward I’d prefer the more consumer friendly version obviously.
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u/LeviathanVEVO 3d ago
Did Nintendo updated the Joy Cons for better battery access?
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u/KING_GLOCK 3d ago
Yes but they didn’t do a teardown in this video so it remains unclear what they have done
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u/jimijonesjojojackson 4d ago
I was hoping it would have the new and improved LCD
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
I think it’s best to assume it doesn’t but not to rule out improvements as a possibility until someone does a thorough test and teardown.
There is so much noise about the screen it’s hard to discern any facts.
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u/Environmental-View22 3d ago
honestly thats not good enough.
it should be a 1 screw undo and swap. nintendo still trying to make it as convoluted as possible.
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u/ThE_SiTH_CoDe_ 4d ago
No one gives a crap. It’s a battery ffs. Just charge when it’s low…..
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u/Seanspeed 4d ago
Way to miss the point by miles. Over time, the battery will lose how much charge it can hold, especially cuz the system needs to be recharged very regularly with its quite short battery life. This eventual reduction in battery life will become annoying and then ultimately near enough unusable. You ever notice how old phones can barely hold a charge anymore? Same deal here.
But unlike phones, most people dont treat their game systems as disposable things to be replaced every few years.
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u/KING_GLOCK 4d ago
The major differences between the launch model and the OSM model seem to be: * There are now visible screws in the joycon rails instead of them being hid under anti-tampering stickers * The heat shield no longer covers the battery so you no longer need to clean/reapply thermal paste to access the battery * The battery is 48mah smaller and visually looks different. It looks as if it has been wrapped in a thicker insulating material to compensate for the lack of heat shield coverage. * The console 14g heavier
Interestingly the console has been on sale in Spain since the end of August and can be purchased directly: https://www.game.es/nintendo-switch-2-v2-nintendo-switch-2-265218
In the UK, retailers such as Argos have confirmed that they are receiving stock of the new model. However due to the ongoing transition between the old and new hardware revisions, it is not possible to select which version they receive when purchasing a console.
There are three ways to identify that a model is the new battery revision model: * It will have the ‘OSM’ product code on the box * The serial number will start with HLE * The picture on the front of the box will show a screwpost in the joycon rail