With the RAM crisis looming on the horizon and global market volatility leading to economic impacts in consumer sectors, gaming fans are on the fence about spring. Nintendo Switch 2 The console may want to pull the trigger, as the latest financial forecasts expect price increases for Nintendo's latest hardware to hit sometime in 2026. The Nintendo Switch 2 will celebrate its one-year anniversary on June 5, but if early marketing analysis is any indication, the party may be less than the console will eventually bring in the coming months.
There was already a lot of hubbub surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 launch price, which many felt was too high for the hardware capabilities, especially when compared to competitors like PlayStation and Xbox. However, the portability of the Switch 2 and Nintendo's powerhouse first-party IPs, which it has long locked onto its own console releases, helped play heavily in the Switch 2's favor, pushing it to become the fastest-selling video game console of all time. While initial sales of the Switch 2 have maintained a fairly steady pace, broader changes in the technology market and political influences on economic trends could prove a daunting hurdle for the Switch 2, especially if major factors force Nintendo's hand in price increases.
Nintendo is reportedly ramping up Switch 2 production
Just months after launch, Switch 2 sales are soaring past major milestones, with Nintendo reportedly ramping up console production.
Will Nintendo Switch 2 be more expensive in 2026?
Trusted market data and consumer insights firm Niko Partners released its 2026 business predictions, which included an unfortunate expectation for the Nintendo Switch 2 to receive price increases in response to “impacts from tariffs, memory costs, and broader macroeconomic conditions.” Nico Partners acknowledged that Nintendo previously chose to maintain its $449 entry price throughout 2025, but the firm predicts increased demand from AI data centers to drive the cost of RAM and storage even higher, which could leave Nintendo without much choice in the matter. Alternatively, Nico Partners believes Nintendo could opt to discontinue the $449 console-only Switch 2 and instead push a $499 bundle with a digital version. Mario Kart WorldAlthough this latter option may also be hit with limited availability and price increases down the road.
It's worth noting that Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has spoken about the issue of rising RAM costs and stated that there will be no immediate Nintendo Switch 2 price increase, although he made no mention of the long-term effects of the RAM issues. For those unfamiliar, Micron Technology, one of the three major consumer RAM manufacturers, announced in 2025 that it will end direct sales of consumer RAM and SSDs, choosing instead to focus on manufacturing and sales of artificial intelligence to data centers and enterprises. This means supply will decrease while demand remains high, driving costs even higher. For video game consoles and PCs that rely on this hardware, those costs will either have to be absorbed by companies like Nintendo themselves, or passed on to consumers, as Nico Partners predicts.
Gamers have already seen the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 with price hikes, and with Nintendo managing to hold Switch 2 prices steady for now, it wouldn't be unexpected to see the Japanese powerhouse bow to broader economic and technological forces in the near future. As it stands, the Nintendo Switch 2 Still available at its $449 price point, and with the $499 bundle rumored to be set to be cut, it might be the best time to drop the Switch 2 before the consumer-facing price rears its ugly and expensive head.
- issued
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June 5, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone // Mild fantasy violence, user interaction
- developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
