The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been a talking point ever since it was announced. With the $80 price point of first party games like Mario Kart World, the company received a lot of backlash for these decisions, but sales reports suggest that they are still popular.
Despite previous reports of Nintendo raising the price of the console, the company said in November that it had no plans. However, industry analyst Niko Partners predicts that the Switch 2 will see a price increase this year. While Trump's tariffs were the cause of previous reports, Niko Partners said the increase in RAM and storage prices due to AI data centers has now added to it.
The price of Nintendo Switch 2 may increase due to RAM
As part of its ten predictions for 2026, Nico Partners said that the Switch 2 could see a global price increase. “We believe the Switch 2 is set to follow in Sony's and Microsoft's footsteps driven by its own rising tariffs, rising memory costs, and the impact of broader macroeconomic conditions,” the statement said. “Despite the introduction of tariffs affecting production in China, Japan and Vietnam, Nintendo chose to maintain its $449 entry price last year.
“Recently, increasing demand for AI data centers has pushed up RAM and storage prices. We expect Nintendo to raise the price of the Switch 2, they may discontinue the $449 SKU and instead sell only the $499 or higher bundled SKU.”
It's been 4 months and I'm still waiting for my Switch 2 to prove itself
The Switch 2's 'Breath of the Wild' moment will come, eventually.
RAM prices have skyrocketed as demand for AI data centers has skyrocketed. In fact, two sticks of 64GB (128GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM currently cost $1,609. Building a gaming PC has never been more expensive, and these prices may affect next-gen consoles as well.
Other predictions made by Niko Partners for 2026 include women making up 40 percent of players in the Asia and MENA region, China approving more than 2100 games for release in the country, and Asian developers moving away from gacha and embracing generative AI for development.
- brand
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Nintendo
- Original release date
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June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$449.99
- operating system
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Ownership
- resolve
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1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR support
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yes
