Two Phillips Screws, 897 mAh, and 7 Grams Lighter: Nintendo Releases the Revised Switch 2 Pro Controller With a Removable Battery
Following the hardware reveal of the revised Nintendo Switch 2 console featuring a nine-screw removable battery, Nintendo has begun rolling out an updated hardware revision of its wireless Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Carrying the internal model designation BEE-008(-01), the refreshed gamepad replaces the seamless upper back trim of the launch unit with a dedicated service hatch, allowing players to swap out a worn battery in minutes using a standard household Phillips screwdriver.
Model BEE-008(-01) and a Two-Screw Battery Hatch: What Changed on the Back
In the original BEE-008 launch model released alongside the console, the internal 1,070 mAh (4.15 Wh) lithium-ion cell (model BEE-017) was buried deep inside the chassis and held down with stubborn adhesive strips. Reaching the battery required a full teardown of the grips, rear shell, and mainboard, exposing delicate ribbon cables to accidental damage.
On the updated BEE-008(-01) revision, Nintendo engineers redesigned the decorative top panel on the back of the controller, positioned directly beneath the USB Type-C port and pairing button between the ZL and ZR shoulder triggers. The single-piece plastic molding has been replaced by a compact rectangular cover with a pry notch held in place by two standard Phillips screws. Unscrewing those two fasteners lifts the cover straight off, granting immediate access to the revised BEE-017(-01) battery pack without disturbing the mainboard or the rear GL and GR grip buttons.
The first retail stock to showcase the BEE-008(-01) shell in Europe is the new production batch of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition (listed under ASIN B0HN2S9JT8 and model number 32204 on European Amazon storefronts with explicit user-replaceable battery labeling), while the standard black Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is transitioning to the updated assembly across winter shipments. Retail packaging for compliant European stock also carries an OSM regulatory code to distinguish the serviceable units from launch inventory.
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller (BEE-008-01 Revision)
- Updated BEE-008(-01) hardware revision with a two-screw rear battery door
- User-replaceable 897 mAh BEE-017(-01) battery pack accessible without a full teardown
- Lighter 228g chassis (-7g), remappable GL/GR grip buttons, 3.5mm audio jack, and C button
Check Availability for the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller on Amazon→
897 mAh Capacity and a Lighter 228-Gram Build: The Engineering Trade-Off
Fitting a rigid battery bay, screw posts, and a solder-free connector inside the upper chassis required a physical compromise detailed on Nintendo of Europe's official support page. To make room for the modular compartment, the BEE-017(-01) battery capacity drops to 897 mAh, representing a reduction of roughly 16% compared to the 1,070 mAh cell in the launch controller.
- Launch Model (BEE-008): glued 1,070 mAh battery (BEE-017), 235-gram total weight, rated for roughly 40 hours of playtime.
- Revised Removable-Battery Model (BEE-008-01): swappable 897 mAh battery (BEE-017-01, down 16%), lighter 228-gram weight (down 7 grams), with estimated runtime around 33 to 34 hours per charge.
- Other Revised Switch 2 Accessories: the updated Joy-Con 2 controllers retain their full battery capacity while gaining 2 grams each (68g left, 69g right), whereas the wireless GameCube Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 arriving in early 2027 receives a 5% larger replaceable battery at 525 mAh (up from 500 mAh) and weighs 215 grams.
These hardware revisions are driven by European Union Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, which takes effect on February 18, 2027 and requires portable electronics sold across EU member states to feature batteries that end users can easily remove and replace using basic tools. Nintendo has also confirmed that official battery replacement kits for each revised product will be sold directly through the European My Nintendo Store. Rather than re-engineering its first-generation hardware, Nintendo will officially end European retail shipments and Nintendo Store sales of the original Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, Switch OLED, and 2017 Switch Pro Controller in mid-February 2027.
My Take: Two Phillips Screws Well Worth a 16% Capacity Trade-Off
On paper, giving up 173 mAh of capacity and trimming maximum runtime from roughly 40 hours down toward 33 or 34 hours might look like a step backward. In real-world use, the trade-off overwhelmingly favors the revised BEE-008(-01) design. Even at 33 hours per charge, the Switch 2 Pro Controller outlasts Sony's DualSense and DualSense Edge by a factor of four or five, while shedding 7 grams in the hands.
More importantly, putting a dedicated two-screw Phillips hatch directly on the upper back panel,without forcing owners to pry apart plastic clips or dissolve industrial glue,turns a controller with a finite chemical lifespan into hardware you can keep alive for decades. We have not yet had this updated BEE-008(-01) hardware revision on our bench,if Nintendo's team would like to send over a unit so we can put its real-world runtime and battery compartment through our full testing protocol, our lab doors are wide open.
PC hardware enthusiast and competitive gamer, Arthur 'Heimdall' splits his time between France and the UK working in enterprise B2B software solutions. A business school graduate passionate about component benchmarking, he has been building, modding, and tuning PCs since childhood, optimizing every thermal degree and millisecond of display latency. An avid gamer across Assassin's Creed and sandbox titles, he forged his alliance with Grimtag and Chaya during late-night World of Warcraft raids before joining Pro-Gamer.
