nintendo the price of is increasing switch 2 for $50 in the United States starting September 1, 2026. The new retail price will be $499.99, down from $449.99. Nintendo cites changes in market conditions as the reason for the increase.
In Canada, the Switch 2 will cost $679.99. In Europe, the price rises to €499.99. The price change in Japan starts earlier, on May 25, and applies not only to the Switch 2 but also the original Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite, all of which will be more expensive.
Price increases in Japan and why Nintendo is raising prices
Nintendo will increase the prices of its Switch Online and Expansion Pack memberships in Japan starting July 1, citing the need for alignment between regions. The company is also adjusting prices for Nintendo playing cards in Japan, citing higher costs and higher material prices.
The price increase is largely attributed to the current memory shortage driven by demand for AI infrastructure, which has led to higher prices for DRAM and NAND. throughout the consumer electronics industry. At the end of April, Samsung’s mobile division warned that it could sees its first net loss in smartphones due to increasing memory costs.
Nintendo initially released the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025 at a price of $449.99, which was already $150 higher than the original Switch at the time of launch. Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser explained that the price increase was due to improved features and technology upgrades.
September’s price increase marks a break from the usual trend of declining console prices over a generation of hardware. Nintendo has not announced any timeline for a possible review or reversal of the price increase if memory market conditions improve.
