Switch 2 price increase to $499 coming in 2026, analyst predicts

Nintendo will raise the price of the Switch 2 throughout 2026, and possibly only offer a $499 bundle, analyst firm Niko Partners predicts.

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The tech sector is once again facing disruption. Hungry AI datacenters are eating up the supply of key components required to make electronics like the Switch 2, with RAM becoming quite scarce. Reports indicate that Nintendo ispaying 41% more for RAM used in the Switch 2--a dramatic production cost jump typically telegraphs a price hike.

That's exactly what gaming experts are expecting. The Switch 2 will get a price hike sometime this year, analyst firm Niko Partners predicts, with Nintendo possibly offering some sort of $499 value bundle to replace the $449 console-only SKU. The Switch 2 launched smack-dab in the middle of worldwide tariff escalations, yet Nintendo still kept the price to $449 in the United States. That is expected to change, and the Switch 2 may become more expensive in the region.

• Read more: Nintendo president talks of need to 'monitor' RAM costs but Switch 2 price isn't due for a hike

The company has responded to tariffs, just not in the Switch 2 platform. In August 2025, Nintendo raised the prices Switch 1 consoles and accessories in the United States.

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has responded to the RAM scarcity situation, commenting that the company currently has enough components procured for the medium-term. Nintendo has to watch the situation, though, and respond accordingly.

"We procure from suppliers based on our medium- to long-term business plans, but the current memory market is very volatile. There is no immediate impact on earnings, but it is something we must monitor closely," Furukawa told the Kyoto Shimbun newspaper.

Check below for insights from the Niko Partners team:

"The Nintendo Switch 2 is competitively priced compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, after the latter consoles witnessed price hikes last year. But we believe the Switch 2 is set to follow in Sony and Microsoft's footsteps with its own price hike driven by the impact from tariffs, increased memory costs, and broader macroeconomic conditions.

"Nintendo chose to maintain its $449 entry price last year despite the introduction of tariffs impacting production in China, Japan and Vietnam. More recently, increased demand for AI data centers has pushed RAM and storage prices up.

"While we do anticipate Nintendo to increase the price of the Switch 2, they may opt to discontinue the $449 SKU and only sell a $499 or higher bundle SKU instead."