Nintendo to raise Switch 2 US price by $50
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Nintendo’s US price rise for the Switch 2 takes effect on 1 September, increasing the base 256GB console without a game by $50 to $499.99. The change makes Nintendo’s new handheld-console less affordable and reflects broader component-cost pressures affecting gaming hardware.
Nintendo is also due to launch two game bundles this autumn, both costing more than $500 while offering a modest saving compared with buying the items separately. The article links the increase to rising costs for fast memory and storage, and notes that rival handhelds have become more expensive too, including a reported increase of more than $200 for the Steam Deck OLED.
- Switch 2’s US base price rises to $499.99 on 1 September.
- Nintendo cites wider memory and storage cost pressures.
- New game bundles will cost more than $500.
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Nintendo is a Japanese video game company best known for consoles such as the Switch and for series including Mario, Zelda and Pokémon. The Switch 2 is its newer handheld-and-home-console system, designed to play games on a television or while carried around.
In the United States, console prices are set by manufacturers and can change after launch as the cost of components, transport and currency movements change. The 256GB figure refers to the console’s built-in storage, which is used for downloaded games and saved data.
Nintendo competes for players’ spending with companies including Sony, Microsoft and Valve, which makes the Steam Deck handheld PC gaming device. Hardware prices matter because consoles are often bought before games and accessories, so a higher entry price can affect how easily new customers can join a gaming system.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the rise argue that Nintendo is responding to genuine increases in component, memory and storage costs rather than arbitrarily raising prices. Maintaining hardware margins can help fund reliable supply, product support and future games, while the bundles still give buyers an optional modest saving; comparable price rises elsewhere suggest the pressure is industry-wide.
The case against
Critics argue that a $50 increase makes an already premium console less accessible, especially for families and younger players who are central to Nintendo’s audience. They may contend that a large, profitable company should absorb more of the cost pressure, or offer lower-priced alternatives, rather than passing it to consumers so soon after launch.
Full account
Nintendo is set to increase the US price of its Switch 2 console by $50 on 1 September, taking the standard 256GB model without a bundled game from $449.99 to $499.99. The reports say customers have less than a week to buy the machine at its original price.
The Switch 2 is positioned as a hybrid system, usable as a handheld, on a table with its stand, or through a television dock. Its appeal centres on Nintendo’s own games, with the reports referring to titles including Mario Kart World, Pokémon Pokopia, and the Switch versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
The increase comes as hardware makers face rising component costs, particularly for memory and storage. One report places Nintendo’s move alongside price rises for rival handheld PCs, while noting that the $50 adjustment is smaller than some increases elsewhere in that market.
For prospective buyers, the new price narrows some of the console’s value advantage but still leaves it below the cited prices of several Xbox and PlayStation models. Nintendo is also expected to offer two higher-priced game bundles this autumn, which are described as including a modest saving compared with buying the items separately.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 focuses on component-price pressures, compares the increase with other handheld devices, and highlights forthcoming games and accessories. Source 2 concentrates on the console’s three play modes, Nintendo-exclusive software and comparisons with Xbox and PlayStation prices. Source 1 also mentions two autumn bundles, whereas Source 2 does not.
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Originally published by The Verge as “The Switch 2’s $50 price increase is happening next week”.