Nintendo Switch 2 price increase explained, and multiple factors are to blame

It's not just down to the memory shortage, apparently

(Credit: The Shortcut)

• 📈 Nintendo has announced why Switch 2 prices have increased

• 🤔 Multiple reasons have been cited by President Shuntaro Furukawa, including rising memory prices and trends in exchange rates and oil prices

• 💰 Nintendo thought its profitability would be hampered if it continued with current pricing, so made the decision to raise prices

• 📆 The Switch 2 will cost $499.99 in the USA and $679.99 in Canada from September 1, 2026, as a result

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has explained why the price of the Switch 2 is increasing, and it’s down to more than you’d think.

In a recent Q&A session with investors (thanks, Genki_JPN), Furukawa noted that the price rise “was not due to any one specific factor” and was instead “made in light of various changes in the recent market conditions which we believe will have a medium- to long-term impact on the global outlook of our dedicated video game platform business.”

The main cause he highlighted was rising memory prices, as has been blamed for price rises elsewhere, such as with the hefty PS5 price increases from Sony that saw the PS5 Pro rise to $900, and the PS5 Standard and Digital models rise to $650 and $600, respectively.

Likewise, Microsoft has said the upcoming Project Helix’s price will be affected by the memory crisis, even though the console is still in development.

However, Furukawa went further, noting that Nintendo’s price rises were also affected by trends in exchange rates and the price of oil, which the company expects to continue in the medium and long term.

Nintendo thought that its profitability would be hampered significantly if it maintained the current Switch 2 pricing, and that prices had risen to cover the additional costs and effects on profitability.

To help encourage sales before the price rises, Nintendo recently announced a limited-time ‘Choose Your Game’ bundle that launches in early June and allows users to save $29.99 on a Switch 2 and a digital copy of either Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza or Pokémon Pokopia.

For reference, the company announced last week that prices would be going up for Switch 2 hardware, with it going up to $499.99 in the USA and $679.99 in Canada, working out to a $50 increase, effective September 1st, 2026.

Nintendo has hiked prices in the past, although they haven’t directly affected the Switch 2, such as sweeping rises in Canada last year. Likewise, Switch 2 accessory prices also went up before the console had even launched in April 2025.

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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.