(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Almost a year after release, Nintendo has announced a long-anticipated price hike for its Switch 2. The price will rise by $50 in the US, but it won’t take effect until later in the year.
Nintendo announced hikes from May 25 for Japan, but price changes for Canada, Europe, and the US won’t take effect until Sept. 1. That gives you over three months to buy the console at its current $449.99 price before it permanently moves to $499.99.
Nintendo didn’t share much about its decision-making, instead saying it's happening "in light of changes in market conditions" with the brand “considering the global business outlook.” It also apologized "for the impact these price revisions may have on our customers and other stakeholders."
Many tech brands are adjusting prices amid the ongoing global storage crisis, driven by demand for memory to be used in AI data centers. Among other gadget makers, Sony and Microsoft have increased the prices of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles multiple times over the last year.
Those in Japan are also seeing price hikes on Nintendo's older Switch models, including the Lite and OLED variants. There's currently no word on that happening outside of Japan, but the US saw price hikes to these consoles and some Switch 2 accessories in August 2025.
It's even worse for gamers in Japan, as the price of Nintendo Switch Online will be rising significantly. The hike sees a monthly subscription move from ¥306 to ¥400. There’s currently no sign of a similar increase outside of Japan.
Nintendo also used its latest financial results to confirm it expects to sell fewer consoles in the next 12 months than in the Switch 2's first year. It anticipates selling 16.5 million units in the current financial year, compared with 19.86 million sold last year.
A decline is expected, given that the console is no longer new, but these price hikes are also likely contributing to Nintendo's lowered expectations.