Nintendo has announced a price increase for its popular Switch 2 console, nearly a year after its launch. The company cites multiple factors including investor pressure, profit concerns, US tariffs, and rising chip prices as reasons for the decision.
Currently, the standalone console costs $449.99 or £395.99, while a bundle with Mario Kart World is $499 or £429.99. Starting September 1st, prices will rise globally, with Japan facing an earlier increase from May 25th, where the console will go from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980.
In the US, the new price will be $499.99, in Canada $679.99, and in Europe €499.99. The UK price adjustment will be confirmed later. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa apologized during a financial briefing and promised a strong software lineup to justify the higher cost.
Despite the console being a massive success—19.86 million units sold and ¥2.3 trillion in revenue—price hikes are driven by rising RAM memory costs, which nearly doubled in early 2026 due to AI data center demand. Additional burdens come from foreign exchange rates, oil prices, and US tariffs, adding about 100 billion yen to production costs.
Furukawa explained that the price adjustment was not due to a single factor but was necessary to maintain long-term viability. He noted that if cost rises were temporary, a different strategy would have been chosen. Other products like Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED are also seeing price increases in Japan, potentially expanding to other regions.
First-generation Switch prices remain unchanged outside Japan, and software prices are unaffected. For UK buyers, the current £395.99 price is a great deal, with discounts rarely exceeding £20 since launch.