The Original Nintendo Switch Will Soon Be More Expensive
It’s been a little over two months since the Nintendo Switch 2 launched, and Nintendo is already raising prices… on the original Nintendo Switch. In a short and not-so-pleasant blog post published on the company’s website today, Nintendo announced that it will adjust prices on all Switch 1 models in the U.S. starting August 3.
That gives you just two days to pick up the console at its current price: $300 for the standard version, $350 for the OLED model, and $200 for the Switch Lite. While Nintendo hasn’t said what the new price will be or whether it’s a raise or a drop, it’s easy to tell between the lines: a price increase is definitely on the horizon.
You’d expect the company to drop prices on the Switch 1’s successor, but the blog post explicitly cites “market conditions” as the reason, making it easy to see what’s going on.
The announcement came a day after the White House issued an order threatening trade partners again with tariffs that will go into effect on August 7. Nintendo’s home country of Japan is hit with a 15 percent tariff, and while that’s not as much as some countries (Switzerland gets a 39 percent tariff), it’s not insignificant. Plus, most Switch production is in Vietnam, which plans to slash its 20 percent tariff.
It’s entirely possible that Nintendo will raise the price of the Switch 1 by as much as 15% or 20%, which would push the price of the standard model from $300 to $345. However, the company may also be willing to absorb some of the cost of the tariff (it’s important to note that it’s technically paid by importers, though exporters often adjust their prices to match the price). Ultimately, the price of the Switch 2 won’t go up, which will likely help maintain sales momentum after the first console recently doubled its first-month sales compared to the first model .
Prices for Switch and Switch 2 games and the Nintendo Switch Online subscription will also not increase. Oddly, the Nintendo Alarmo alarm clock will increase in price as part of these changes, as will some as-yet-unnamed amiibo figures and accessories for the Switch 2.
The news follows a separate price hike for Switch 1 systems in Canada , where the Switch and Switch Lite have gone up by $20, and the Switch OLED has gone up by $40.