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The analysts predicted it, and investors were calling for it, but now it's official. The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is rising across the world, but the good news is that you have some time before those price hikes actually take effect.
This news has been confirmed following Nintendo's latest earnings briefing, and speculation that Nintendo would follow in the footsteps of rivals Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo revealed the new prices for various regions, including a $50 price hike for Switch 2 consoles sold in the U.S.
Nintendo Switch 2 price hikes around the world
The U.S. isn't the only region affected by these price hikes, so you can be safe in the knowledge that Nintendo isn't explicitly targeting U.S. consumers. Prices in Canada are rising by $50 (CAD) to $680, while European buyers are getting a €30 to €500. Like the U.S., those changes come into effect on September 1.
U.K. price hikes haven't been confirmed, but I would be surprised if a price hike wasn't also coming. The current cost of a Switch 2 is £396 for the console by itself, but I can realistically see the price rising to somewhere between £430 and £450. However, we'll have to wait and see what happens in the coming days.
Japanese buyers don't have so long to enjoy the original Switch 2 price, since the price hike will take effect on May 25, and will affect multiple consoles. The Japanese-language Switch 2 price is rising by ¥10,000 to ¥59,980 (~$382), but the multi-language system price is confirmed to be staying at ¥69,980 (~$446).
Japanese buyers will also have to pay more for the first-generation Switch models The OLED model is rising by ¥10,000 to ¥47,980, while the standard Switch is going to be ¥43,980 — an increase of ¥11,002. The Switch Lite will be ¥29,980, an increase of ¥8,002.
Nintendo has also confirmed price hikes for Switch Online memberships in Japan, and that there are plans for a "price revision" in South Korea. Nothing has been mentioned about other regions, but that's something people should be mindful of if they're thinking of letting their Switch Online subscriptions lapse.
Nintendo Switch 2 price hikes: What this means for you
While none of us ever want the price of our gadgets and consoles to rise, especially so soon after release day, most of us saw this coming. There have been rumors surrounding a Switch 2 price hike for several months, and while Nintendo has stayed silent on the topic, global events mean that some sort of increase was inevitable.
Production costs have been rising across the board, exacerbated by the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing RAMageddon memory shortages. It's reportedly got to the point where Nintendo is selling Switch 2 consoles at a loss, something it always avoided with the original Switch, and investors are apparently unhappy about that.
The fact that Nintendo is giving almost four months' notice about the price hike means there is still plenty of time to pick up the Switch 2 at its original price. In fact, it almost feels like an intentional decision to help push sales over the next few months.
So if you've been on the fence about picking up the hybrid console, now is the time to buy. Because odds are that other people will be having the same thoughts you are, and you don't want to be left out because a spike in demand caused shortages of the lower-priced stock.
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