Someone hoping to capture Switch 2 Want to jump on it sooner rather than later amid rising RAM costs. Nintendo's latest console has already drawn criticism for its price when it was first revealed, with some questioning whether the system is worth its $450 asking price and even more critical of its game pricing. While that controversy has died down a bit over time, there's a chance the Switch 2 could be more expensive.
Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 was hard to get at launch. Some analysts have predicted Switch 2 shortages could last until 2026 in some regions, even though the console has become widely available in others. Given these stock issues and some lingering cost questions, some gamers may be holding off on buying one until the initial hype is over and sales are more likely. In general, that might be a good strategy, but if the hardware market continues the way it's going now, waiting too long to buy one could be expensive.
Nintendo addresses concerns that the Switch 2 is too expensive for younger gamers
Nintendo Company President Shuntaro Furukawa responded to a question about the Switch 2's price tag being too much for younger fans to buy.
A RAM supply crisis could push Nintendo to raise the price of the Switch 2
Fears of Switch 2 price hikes stem from a worrying trend of sky-high RAM prices. In October, two of the world's largest RAM manufacturers, Samsung and SK Hynix, signed an agreement with OpenAI to reserve a large portion of the global memory supply for AI data centers. The disrupted supply, as a result, drove RAM prices through the roof, with some DDR5 RAM kits tripling in price and older DDR4 memory experiencing a small but still significant uptick. Samsung and SK Hynix aren't the only suppliers focusing on AI. Micron is completely out of the consumer market, and as manufacturers continue to pour resources into AI, supply and demand could force console companies into a tough decision: raise prices or take a hit to profits.
PC gamers are already feeling the effects of the RAM shortage, as rising prices have made the already expensive task of building a gaming rig less budget-friendly. While console manufacturers have the advantage of economies of scale and generally subsidize the prices of their systems, the same cost concerns affect them, especially if they grow to a certain level. The Switch 2 features 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, as DDR5 gets more and more expensive, so does the cost of building the console. Nintendo may have safety stocks of memory purchased ahead of time, but if they run low, the company may need to pass the costs on to the end user for its supply costs.
Just because component costs are going up doesn't mean Nintendo will adjust the Switch 2's pricing accordingly. However, history shows that companies are not immune to macroeconomic changes. In August 2025, Nintendo raised the price of the original Switch generation, another $40 for the vanilla Switch and $50 for the OLED model. Those adjustments came as a response to “market conditions,” possibly referring to the impact of U.S. tariffs on electronics on the broader hardware industry. While the Switch 2 initially escaped the same fate, not receiving a tariff-related price hike as feared shortly after its announcement, it may not be so lucky this time around.
Nintendo is not alone in this precarious situation. There are rumors that Xbox may raise its console prices again in response to the recent RAM price hike. For now, neither company has said they will charge more for their systems, but as RAM costs climb, it's not hard to imagine how they could affect the console market.
- 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
