Nintendo released the Switch 2 less than a year ago, but new reports suggest there has been pressure from investors to raise the price of the system due to market volatility. The base model of the Nintendo Switch 2 launched at a price of $449, along with a Mario Kart World package that offered the game and system for $499. Since then, Nintendo has offered other deals and software bundles, including an option along with Pokemon Legends: ZA.
Over the past year, a combination of economic factors have resulted in price increases for video game systems. Tariffs, AI-related memory shortages, and the war in Iran have all resulted in more expensive consoles. The PS5 has seen price increases in multiple regions, and the price of an Xbox has gone up multiple times over the past year in North America alone. Fans are used to seeing prices drop over the course of a console generation, but the reverse is now true.
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Will the Nintendo Switch 2 get a price hike?
As the price of competing systems increases, there is pressure on the Nintendo Switch 2 to follow suit. According to a report from Bloomberg, investors are pushing Nintendo to raise the price of the system to offset rising costs. The outlet notes that Nintendo's stock is now on a five-month low, following a peak last August. However, Nintendo Switch 2 system sales continue to outpace the original Switch, which is the second best-selling video game system of all time. Bloomberg notes that there are some concerns that a price increase could affect demand.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
Nintendo will report earnings on Friday, and investors are apparently hoping to see a price increase announced. Bloomberg notes that there is a contradiction in how share prices have fallen, despite a string of strong profits for the company. March release of Pokemon Pokopia saw 2.2 million units sold in just four days, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the highest grossing film of 2026 so far. If Nintendo doesn't announce a price increase in the near future, it will be interesting to see if the earnings report can still help settle investor nerves.
Investors are not the only ones expecting a price increase. Former Nintendo employees have predicted a price hike for the Switch 2, and there are plenty of casual gaming fans who assume it's only a matter of time. Following the official unveiling of the Switch 2 last year, Nintendo was forced to raise the prices of several announced products, including the Pro Controller and amiibo, due to tariffs. The company avoided doing that for the system, and prices have remained mostly the same ever since.
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Start
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
While Xbox and PlayStation have increased system prices over the past year, Nintendo is in a very different position; The Switch 2 is still fairly new, while the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are at the end of their life cycles. A price increase early on might appease jittery investors, but it could also hurt the system's growth at an important time for the company. It remains to be seen how that will play out, but fans planning to buy a Switch 2 in the near future may want to do so soon, just to be on the safe side.
