Nintendo Is Raising the Price of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo may be valued at over $50 billion , but that doesn’t mean the company is immune to global market volatility. Escalating conflicts in the Middle East are driving up oil prices, and the ongoing memory crisis is driving up the cost of technology overall. Therefore, companies like Nintendo are forced to make difficult decisions to ensure profit growth.
Which brings us to today’s news: on Friday, the company issued a press release titled “Notice of Price Revisions for Nintendo Products and Services.” While “revision” can mean either a price increase or a price decrease, in this case, unfortunately, it means the former. Nintendo announced a series of price increases for systems and services in its global markets, including the Nintendo Switch 2 , Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch Online. For those of us in the US, Nintendo is only raising the Switch 2’s suggested retail price (lucky us): the Switch 2 will soon officially retail for $499.99, a $50 increase from the console’s launch price of $449.99.
However, this price increase doesn’t take effect immediately. Nintendo is giving American, Canadian, and European customers until September 1st, after which prices will increase sharply. So, if you’re interested in a Switch 2, you might want to buy it sooner rather than later. In September, you’ll pay $50 more for the same product. Nintendo hasn’t specified this, but I’m guessing bundle prices will also increase. If so, the Mario Kart World bundle, which typically sells for $499.99, could cost $549.99.
This isn’t the first time Nintendo has raised prices this console generation . Nintendo considered raising the Switch 2 price in response to President Trump’s tariffs, but decided against it, instead increasing the suggested retail price of Switch 2 accessories, as well as the original Switch itself . Nintendo isn’t alone. Back in March , Sony announced price increases for the PS5 and PS5 Pro ; meanwhile, Microsoft raised Xbox prices twice in 2025. While courts have largely overturned Trump’s tariffs , these companies can’t avoid rising prices for computing components: AI firms are buying up all the RAM, and memory manufacturers can’t produce enough new RAM to meet demand. Add in increased shipping costs, and it’s no wonder the prices of game consoles (and all other technology) are rising worldwide.
However, this is a strange twist on typical video game pricing. In most cycles, consoles are most expensive at launch. It’s usually more cost-effective to wait until the manufacturer lowers prices or releases a cheaper model, especially since consoles often launch without a huge library of new games. However, today, waiting to buy a new console is more expensive. If you already own a Switch or are happy with your current gaming system, it might be worth holding on to it.