Nintendo may raise Switch 2 price $50

Nintendo of America said on May 7 that it will raise the U.S. suggested retail price of the Switch 2 to $499.99 from $449.99 starting September 1. The company said the change was “in response to various changes in market conditions,” and said pricing for the original Switch would not change. The official notice means the central claim in a May 17 Swoknews column — that Nintendo was preparing a $50 increase for September — has already been confirmed by Nintendo. What the company has not done in that consumer-facing notice is spell out tariffs, memory costs or other specific drivers behind the move. (nintendo.com) Nintendo launched the Switch 2 in the United States on June 5, 2025, at $449.99. The company is now set to charge the same $499.99 price as the launch-day U.S. bundle that paired the system with a download code for “Mario Kart World.” (nintendo.com) ### When did Nintendo actually confirm the higher price? May 7 is the key date. Nintendo of America posted a notice on its official site saying the U.S. MSRP for the Switch 2 system will rise to $499.99 on September 1, 2026. The company also said pricing for Latin America would be shared later. (nintendo.com) May 17 is when the Swoknews report circulated more widely among gaming outlets. But Nintendo’s own announcement predates that coverage by 10 days, making the price increase an official company action rather than an unconfirmed rumor. ### What exactly changes for buyers in the United States? (nintendo.com) The number for U.S. buyers is straightforward: $499.99 starting September 1, up $50 from the current $449.99. Nintendo’s notice refers specifically to the Switch 2 system, and says the original Switch line is not changing in that announcement. (nintendo.com) Nintendo’s official U.S. store page still lists the Switch 2 with a June 5, 2025 release date and details including a 7.9-inch 1080p screen, 256GB of internal storage and a dock with 4K support for compatible games and TVs. Those hardware specifications are unchanged by the price revision notice. (nintendo.com) ### Did Nintendo blame tariffs and AI-related shortages? Nintendo’s consumer notice used broader language, saying only that the increase was due to “various changes in market conditions” expected to extend over the medium to long term. The notice did not mention tariffs or artificial intelligence by name. (nintendo.com) May 8 investor materials gave a more specific cost picture. Nintendo said its forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027 includes an approximately 100 billion yen impact on costs from rising component prices, “particularly for memory,” as well as tariff measures. CNBC, citing Nintendo’s disclosures, reported that memory prices have surged as AI data-center demand tightened supply. (nintendo.com) That linkage between the AI buildout and component costs has been reported by outside outlets, but Nintendo’s own public materials stop at higher memory prices and tariff measures. (nintendo.co.jp) ### How big is Switch 2 for Nintendo right now? Nintendo said Switch 2 hardware sales reached 19.86 million units through the end of the fiscal year ended March 2026. In its May 13 Q&A, President Shuntaro Furukawa said that first-year result exceeded both the company’s initial 15 million-unit forecast and its revised 19 million-unit forecast. (cnbc.com) The company now forecasts 16.5 million Switch 2 units for the fiscal year ending March 2027. Furukawa said Nintendo does not see “any particular concerns” about the console’s momentum at this time, even as the company factors higher costs into its outlook. ### What should readers watch next? (nintendo.co.jp) September 1 is the next concrete date for U.S. consumers, because that is when the higher $499.99 price takes effect. Nintendo also said Latin America pricing for the Switch 2 will be shared later, leaving another regional update still pending. (nintendo.co.jp) Nintendo’s investor relations page lists the May 8 earnings release, the May 8 price-revision notice and the May 13 financial-results Q&A as the company’s current public record on the change. Those filings are the clearest place to watch for any further detail from Nintendo on costs, tariffs or regional pricing. (nintendo.co.jp) (nintendo.com)