Nintendo has confirmed that production of original Nintendo Switch consoles will end in February 2027, just under a decade after the original version launched.
In a post about the upcoming European revision of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo confirmed details about the console and various accessories that will be affected by this revision. While there's not too much to report, aside from some weight differences and a 16% smaller battery for the Pro Controller, the big news was hidden at the bottom in a FAQ titled "What does that mean for Nintendo Switch consoles in Europe?"
While Nintendo says the Nintendo Switch – alongside the Lite and OLED models – will continue to be manufactured throughout 2026 and "should be widely available in Europe all year," production will end in 2027. The post reads, "From mid-February 2027, almost ten years after Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, Nintendo will no longer sell to retailers hardware in the Nintendo Switch family of systems – specifically Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model. Sales of Nintendo Switch hardware on Nintendo Store will also end in mid-February 2027."
While the headline "What does that mean for Nintendo Switch consoles in Europe?" does only mention Europe, however, the answer doesn't mention Europe. It's unclear if production of the Nintendo Switch and its other models will come to an end worldwide at this time. We have reached out to Nintendo Europe for comment and will update if we get a response.
While this could be seen as Nintendo cutting its losses instead of creating unique Switch hardware to comply with EU laws, it also could just be a situation where it's no longer worth producing the console thanks to the ongoing global RAM shortages compounded by AI slop farms, which have seen the prices of tech skyrocket over the last year or so.
Still, what a run the Nintendo Switch had. Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild in its first year was enough to cement it as an all-timer, but since then it's blown up and made people forget just how dire things were for Nintendo in the first half of the 2010s by comparison.
For now, it looks like Rhythm Heaven Groove is set to be the console's final first-party game too, which would be an excellent way to go out – unless any of those rumored things we've been hearing about forever like Wind Waker and Twilight Princess HD, Kirby: Planet Robobot, or Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War remake emerge in the next year.
And now, Nintendo has just over half a year to sell about 5 million consoles for the Switch to beat the PS2 to become the best-selling console of all time. Although the Switch doesn't have God Hand, so can it ever truly beat the PS2?
