As much as I like my thin devices, all batteries should be user replaceable without the need for disassembly of any kind.

If anyone had the sense to make a law forcing the modem processor and peripherals to be fully documented with all registers, protocols, API, architecture, and a reproducible toolchain for compiling the software, we might just have a sustainable future. Governments and large corporations already require this level of accountability for what they purchase and use. Anything less than this level of support and transparency is exploitive theft of ownership. Retaining any digital rights for any products sold is criminal theft.

As long as tools to unclip the shell aren't consider specialized, I think almost all existing handhelds are gonna meet the actual requirements here - they just have to be user replaceable, not use swappable, without the use of specialized tools or thermal energy. If you can unscrew it, disconnect the old battery and connect the new one, it complies. It's really only an issue in waterproof devices, where they have to glue everything to seal it.

with standard tools (not proprietary)🥳

As I recall, valve said that they wanted the battery to be more easily replaceable. The issue was that the battery expands and shrinks during use, and they couldn't find a good way to secure it that both kept it easily replaceable and kept it from sliding around during use. Ultimately, they had to use glue to hold the battery in place.

Steam deck already supports this

It seems to me the steam deck already meets this regulation, or would with very minimal change. It does not say you need to have an access door like gamboys had. It just says the battery needs to be easily replaceable with commonly available tools (or included tools). To replace the steam decks battery you just need a size 0 Phillips screwdriver and something to pop it open like a guitar pick or a credit card. You would easily be able to get all the tools you need at any hardware store.

Honestly it is so dystopian that we even have to have laws to require this kind of thing. It only makes sense to be able to replace failed parts instead of throwing out entire units or being required to have the manufacturer handle it.

In reality what happens is that devices with difficult or impossible to replace batteries end up getting thrown in the trash more often than anyone does anything else with them.

Oh god, my heart skipped a beat because I thought they meant like AA batteries or something, whew