No, Nintendo Did Not Rule Out Future Switch 2 Price Hikes

Given the lingering shortage of memory and storage components combined with rising supply-side costs, it's fair to wonder if Nintendo will end up issuing a second round of price hikes for its popular Switch 2 console. As much as we'd like to say it definitely will not, a price increase is not totally off the table, despite some headlines suggesting otherwise.

That is not speculation on our part, but based on comments made by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa during an earnings call to talk about the company's earnings for the first half of fiscal 2027 (ended September 30, 2026). He was asked to discuss Nintendo's approach to pricing for hardware and software, and how rising component costs are affecting the company's strategy.

The good news is, no price hike is imminent, or even currently planned for a later date. According to an AI-translation of a Nintendo's Q&A sessions, Furukawa said Nintendo's "basic approach is to maintain retail prices as far as possible." To battle rising component costs, Furukawa said the strategy starts with efforts to make production more efficient, and failing that, absorbing costs that can't be fully offset.

He also alluded to having planned ahead with procuring raw materials, which notably includes memory chips, to "maintain stable production" and increase the company's inventory, but there is a key caveat. Should things continue the way they are going, Nintendo would still consider another price hike.

"If we determine that the effects cannot be absorbed through our own efforts over the medium to long term, making it difficult to maintain a healthy profit structure across the business, we will need to consider price revisions," Furukawa said (PDF).

Summed up, the Switch 2 is safe from another price increase for now, but Nintendo is not slamming the door on the possibility. And with companies like Apple, Team Group, and others indicating that the memory crisis hasn't even peaked yet, it's fair to wonder how long Nintendo can or will hold the line.

The comments come just over two months since Nintendo raised the cost of the Switch 2 in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, where the MSRP for the standalone handheld rose from $449.99 to $499.99. Nintendo also brought back its Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle, but at $549.99 instead of $499.99. Here is what the retail landscape looks like right now:

• Switch 2: $499.99
• Switch 2 - The Legend of Zelda - 40th Anniversary Edition: $519.99
• Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort bundle: $529.99
• Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle: $549.99