(Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Effective Aug. 3, Nintendo is increasing prices on older Switch consoles and some Switch 2 accessories in the US and Canada, citing "market conditions."
“These include Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and select Nintendo Switch accessories,” the company says.
Updated prices appeared briefly on Target, though they seem to have reverted back for now. The Switch 1 was listed at $339, up from $299; the Switch Lite was $229, up from $199, and the Switch 1 OLED was $399, up from $349.
The good news is that Nintendo says the $449 Switch 2 and physical and digital games for both generations of console will “remain unchanged at this time.” The company also isn’t touching the Nintendo Switch Online membership in the US, which currently costs $3.99 per month.
“However, please note that price adjustments may be necessary in the future,” the company warned. Price changes are already live in Canada:
- Switch 1: CAD$419 (US$304), up from $399
- Switch Lite: CAD $279 (US$202), up from $259.99
- Switch 1 OLED: CAD$489 (US$354), up from $449.99
In Canada, though, the company raised the pricing of many games by $5 or $10.
Normally, companies discount their older hardware when a new console generation emerges. But Nintendo is doing the opposite, possibly to drive more sales to the Switch 2. On Friday, the company reported that Switch 2 sales have topped 6 million, beating its own expectations. Giving people a two-day notice could also encourage them to buy now and clear out Nintendo's stock of older, less pricey Switch consoles.
(Credit: Nintendo)"The Nintendo Switch 2 hardware's higher price, relative to Nintendo Switch, contributed to a greater increase in net sales," the company said in an earnings report for Q2, which showed the vendor raking in 572.3 billion yen in revenue (US$3.8 billion), up 132% year-over-year.
Although Nintendo didn’t explain what’s driving the price changes, it might be a response to US tariffs. On Thursday, the Trump administration introduced new tariffs on dozens of countries, including Vietnam and Cambodia, where Switch 2 hardware is manufactured. Starting Aug. 7, the US will tariff goods from Vietnam at 20% and goods from Cambodia at 19%. US tariffs on China will remain at 30% after the two countries reached a trade truce back in May.