wesNew handheld game consoles will need replaceable batteries from 2027, EU says
JustALeatherBootSteam deck already supports this
mihntYes, but this legislation seems to be aimed at making them replaceable without having to take the device apart at all.
VoyajerThe requirement is simply that the battery is removable with commercially available tools, or if specialized tools are needed to have them provided with the product. So the SD would already be compliant.
As much as I like my Steam Deck, replacing the battery is not as easy or clean as it should be because of the glue.
Yes I know there’s a reason they glued it, and yes its good that it is “user replaceable” to some extent, but I hope this pushes for easier replacement in the future.
I would imagine that the battery cell manufacturers also play a role here, although I have absolutely no way to back this up so take it with a grain of salt. Because 99% of consumer mobile devices have glued in batteries, it is likely that Li-ion manufacturers have adjusted their supply chain to accommodate and make it less expensive for device makers to buy batteries that need to be glued. So it would be reasonable to assume if more companies need to switch to easily replaceable (read: not glued), the suppliers would shift to accommodate and stay competitive.