Nintendo hikes Switch 2 U.S. price $50 to $499.99

Nintendo of America said on May 7 it will raise the U.S. suggested retail price of the Switch 2 to $499.99 effective September 1, 2026. The company said the price will move up from $449.99 and attributed the change to “various changes in market conditions,” which it said are expected to extend over the medium to long term. Nintendo said pricing for the original Switch family in the United States is not changing. The company also said it will announce Switch 2 pricing in Latin America later. ### When does the new U.S. price take effect? September 1, 2026 is the date Nintendo gave for the U.S. price revision. Until then, Nintendo’s U.S. Switch 2 product page still shows a $449.99 MSRP for the system, while the May 7 notice says the MSRP will become $499.99 on that date. The increase amounts to $50 on the base system. (nintendo.com) Nintendo described the move as a revision to MSRP, or manufacturer’s suggested retail price, rather than a limited-time promotion or retailer-specific change. ### What exactly did Nintendo say about the reason? Nintendo’s official statement used a narrow explanation. (nintendo.com) The company said the revision comes “in response to various changes in market conditions,” and added that those conditions are expected to continue over the medium to long term. Tech Insider reported the same effective date and price change, but added its own explanation tying the move to an “AI-driven memory shortage.” Nintendo’s official U.S. notice did not mention memory, chips or tariffs, and only cited market conditions. (nintendo.com) ### Does this affect the original Switch too? Nintendo said pricing for the Nintendo Switch system is not changing in the United States. (nintendo.com) That distinguishes the May 7 notice from the company’s August 1, 2025 pricing update, when Nintendo said prices for the original Switch family and some accessories in the United States would change based on market conditions. (tech-insider.org) The current announcement is limited to the Switch 2 system in the United States, according to Nintendo’s U.S. notice. The company did not say in that notice that U.S. pricing for the original Switch, Switch Lite or Switch OLED would move again on September 1. ### Is Nintendo changing prices outside the United States? (nintendo.com) Nintendo of America said in a Canada notice published the same day that the Switch 2 MSRP there will rise from C$629.99 to C$679.99 on September 1, 2026. That notice used the same explanation about “various changes in market conditions” and also said Latin America pricing would be shared later. (nintendo.com) Separate Nintendo regional notices have also referred to market conditions in discussing Switch 2 pricing, but the U.S. announcement itself only confirms the American change to $499.99 and says Latin America details will come later. ### Where should buyers look next? Nintendo’s May 7 notice is the company’s formal statement on the U.S. change, and its U.S. store and product pages are the places where MSRP listings appear. (nintendo.com) As of today, the product page still shows $449.99, while the notice says the revision begins September 1, 2026. (nintendo.com) September 1, 2026 is the next concrete milestone for U.S. buyers. Nintendo also said pricing for the Switch 2 system in Latin America will be shared at a later date. (nintendo.com)