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Nintendo has decided to increase the price of the Switch 2. After suggesting it was keeping a close eye on the tumultuous market, Nintendo is increasing the price of the popular handheld device by $50 in the US, starting September 1, 2026.
The price increase and when it is in effect is different between regions, so here’s a quick breakdown:
|
Country/region (local currency) |
Current price |
New price |
Difference |
Effective date |
|
United States |
449.99 |
499.99 |
~11% |
September 1, 2026 |
|
Canada |
629.99 |
679.99 |
~8% |
September 1, 2026 |
|
Europe |
469.99 |
499.99 |
~6% |
September 1, 2026 |
|
Japan |
49,980 |
59,980 |
~20% |
May 25, 2026 |
“This is in response to various changes in market conditions, which are expected to extend over the medium to long term,” Nintendo of America says.
It’s the long-term bit that worries me. Prices often go up, they don’t often come back down again, and the the memory crisis—one of the prevailing issues facing hardware manufacturers today—is not expected to wind-down until 2027, if not later.
The price of the original Nintendo Switch is not changing in the United States, Canada or Europe. While Latin America is yet to hear of a price hike, Nintendo has noted one is coming at a later date.
This announcement comes only a couple days after a report that Nintendo investors were unhappy with the price of the console.
Yep, that’s an earlier and larger increase for Nintendo’s home market of Japan. The Japanese market is also braced for impact earlier than everyone else. Furthermore, Japan is the only market noted by Nintendo to receive a price hike for the original Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite. These are going up at a similar rate to the Switch 2—roughly ¥10,000, give or take.
Japanese customers will also have to pay more for Nintendo Switch Online services and Nintendo’s playing cards, which is what the company first began making in 1889.
“In light of changes in market conditions, and after considering the global business outlook, Nintendo will revise the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) of the Nintendo Switch 2 system and Nintendo Switch systems in Japan,” a press release says.
“We sincerely apologize for the impact these price revisions may have on our customers and other stakeholders, and we deeply appreciate your understanding.”
The current price of the Switch 2 in Japan works out to around $320/€270. Even with a price hike, it’s still a comparably cheaper device on home turf. But there is a wider economic picture here: the Yen has seen a decreasing purchasing power in recent years.
Nintendo joins Sony and Microsoft in hiking the price of current generation consoles. All three blame the wider economic environment, which is in part caused by spiking memory costs, but also worsened by the war in Iran. This has a knock-on effect on energy costs and access to supplies. PC gaming isn’t immune, either. The Steam Machine is inevitably going to cost more than originally planned and RAM costs are through the roof—but you probably know that already.
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