The Japanese entertainment giant Nintendo released the much-awaited successor to the Switch handheld gaming console in June 2025, dubbed Switch 2. It offered upgrades in almost all aspects, including the display, GPU, battery life, and accessories.
The console debuted at a launch price of $449 (for the console) and $499 for the Mario Kart World bundle. Since then, it has remained available at the same price, even though other popular consoles like the PlayStation 5 (Digital Edition) and Xbox Series S (512GB) saw price hikes of $50 and $100, respectively.
Why Nintendo’s $449 retail tag might not survive 2026
However, that might not be the case in 2026. The memory and storage crisis is already affecting the retail prices in the smartphone, PC, and laptop industry. There has been a dramatic increase in memory demand for AI data centers. Suppliers are running low on stock, driving up prices for end consumers.
According to the market analytics firm Niko Partners, Nintendo could follow the footsteps of companies like Sony and Microsoft. Citing several factors, such as the “impact from tariffs, increased memory costs, and broader macroeconomic conditions,” Nintendo could revise the Switch 2 pricing.
“The Nintendo Switch 2 will see a global price hike,” mentions the firm in its “10 Major Trends To Watch In 2026” report. A global price hike could prompt revisions across all markets where the Switch 2 is available, including the United States.
Now, Nintendo could go about the impending price hike in two ways. The first and most obvious way is to increase the console’s retail price, which currently stands at $449. The second, and perhaps the more likely, way is to discontinue the $449 console-only SKU and replace it with the $499 bundle.
The second method won’t only increase the average selling price of Nintendo’s console; it could also drive in more profits than the company makes from selling the cheaper one. While it’s clear that Nintendo intends to increase the entry-level price of its Switch 2, a tentative timeline for the same isn’t entirely clear at the moment.
