Nintendo raises Switch 2 price to $499.99

Nintendo’s Switch 2 now costs $499.99 in the United States after a price increase took effect on September 1, according to the company’s U.S. site. Nintendo of America disclosed the change on May 7, saying it would raise the suggested retail price from $449.99 to $499.99. (nintendo.com) The company said the move was “in response to various changes in market conditions” that it expects to extend over the medium to long term. Nintendo said pricing for the original Switch line in the U.S. was not changing. The increase lands less than a week before Nintendo’s September software slate begins to hit the market. Nintendo’s U.S. store lists Orbitals for release on September 3, Onimusha: Way of the Sword on September 4 and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave on September 17. (nintendo.com) Nintendo’s home page also promoted Orbitals on Wednesday with an “Arriving 9/3!” message. ### When did Nintendo say the higher price was coming? May 7 is when Nintendo of America posted the formal notice. The company said that beginning September 1, 2026, it would revise the U.S. MSRP of the Nintendo Switch 2 system to $499.99 from $449.99. Nintendo added that Latin America pricing would be shared later. (nintendo.com) September 1 is when outside coverage said the increase became visible to shoppers. Hardware Busters reported the U.S. price change on that date, after Nintendo had already published the earlier notice. IGN also told readers before the deadline that the system would jump by $50 on September 1. (nintendo.com) ### What explanation did Nintendo give? Nintendo used one sentence to explain the decision. The company said the revision was due to “various changes in market conditions,” without detailing component costs, tariffs, exchange rates or logistics in the notice published on its U.S. news page. (nintendo.com) Hardware Busters linked the move to memory costs in its own report, but that explanation did not appear in Nintendo’s statement. Nintendo’s official notice did not announce any change to U.S. pricing for the original Nintendo Switch family. (nintendo.com) ### Did prices move outside the United States too? Canada and Australia show higher current official-store pricing than Nintendo’s earlier launch-era figures. Nintendo’s April 2025 Canada announcement listed the standalone Switch 2 at C$629.99, while the official Canada product page now reflects the current system listing and third-party retail listings show C$679.99. In Australia and New Zealand, Nintendo’s official store currently lists the standalone Switch 2 at A$699.95, while its Switch 2 hardware page remains live for the region. (nintendo.com) Europe was cited by Hardware Busters at €499.99, but Nintendo’s Europe pricing was not independently confirmed from an official Nintendo page in this reporting. (nintendo.com) Hardware Busters also cited AU$769.95, a figure that differs from the current official Australia store listing surfaced in search results. ### What does the September lineup look like at the new price? September 3 is the first notable date on Nintendo’s U.S. upcoming-games page, which lists Orbitals at $39.99. September 4 brings Onimusha: Way of the Sword at $69.99, and September 17 brings Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave at $69.99. (nintendo.com) Nintendo Life, which tracks the platform’s release calendar, described September as a month with a new Onimusha title, ports and two Switch 2 exclusives — Orbitals and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. Nintendo’s own U.S. storefront separately confirms release dates for those games. (nintendo.com) ### What should buyers watch next? Latin America is the next named pricing item in Nintendo’s own notice. Nintendo of America said pricing for the Switch 2 system in Latin America would be shared at a later date. (nintendo.com) September 3 and September 17 are the next concrete milestones on Nintendo’s U.S. calendar, with Orbitals and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave scheduled to arrive after the higher $499.99 console price took effect. (nintendo.com 1) (nintendo.com 2) (nintendolife.com)