Next year, console gaming may not be the respite that you expect, thanks to rising prices for every console. With Sony announcing unilateral PS5 price increases in the U.S., one analyst suggests that Nintendo could follow suit and bump up the Switch 2.
Analyst Daniel Ahmad said that Nintendo could raise Switch 2 prices, but not until 2026.
As an aside, Nintendo also explored raising prices on Switch 2 when tariffs were temporarily at 10% for Vietnam. Now they’re at 20%. This is definitely impacting margins for them. While they may not be willing to raise prices right now, I can see them reconsidering next year. https://t.co/BWYLWVO93DAugust 20, 2025
“While they may not be willing to raise prices right now, I can see them reconsidering next year,” Ahmad wrote on X.
He said that Nintendo had explored raising Switch 2 prices earlier this year but backed off. New tariffs may impact any future Nintendo pricing decisions.
Earlier this year, Nintendo raised prices on every Switch model and a number of Switch and Switch 2 accessories, including the Joy-Con 2 controllers and the Switch 2 Pro Controller. The Switch 2 was spared, but Nintendo warned that “market conditions” could change that.
Currently, the Switch 2 costs $449 for the console. The Mario Kart World bundle will set you back $499.
Nintendo already announced that a Pokémon Z-A bundle is coming in October, which is currently available for pre-order at $499. It’s possible that Nintendo is waiting out the release of that bundle or the holiday season before bumping prices in early 2026, especially as it attempts to hit internal sales goals.
The latest Nintendo handheld has been a success for the company, selling more than 6 million consoles since it launched in June. The company has said it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2s before the end of March 2026.
Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs
Many companies are using “market conditions” as a way to say tariffs without actually using the word when announcing price increases this year. Like many other major tech companies including Apple, Nintendo has been moving production out of China to places like Cambodia and Vietnam in an attempt to avoid President Trump’s fluctuating tariffs.
It hasn’t worked.
At one point in the spring, Vietnam faced a 46% tariff, which was later reduced to a global 10% tax. That number leapt to 20% at the beginning of August
Trump currently faces several lawsuits alleging that he doesn’t have the authority to enact such sweeping tariffs without Congress. Those lawsuits will take time to resolve; in the meantime, the tariffs are here and affecting your wallet.
Nintendo isn’t alone
Nintendo may not have raised the price of the Switch 2 yet, but it’s not alone. As mentioned above, Sony announced today (August 20) that every PlayStation 5 model is seeing a $50 price increase across the board.
In May, Xbox introduced even steeper prices when it raised the price of every Xbox console by $100. The cheapest 512GB Xbox Series S now starts at $379, while the standard Xbox Series X will set you back $599.
Tariffs are also affecting the forthcoming Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld console. Pricing was supposed to be announced during Gamescom 2025. However, that news was held back with Asus promising “pricing and pre-order details will follow in the coming weeks.” Current cost rumors put the new handhelds squarely in premium territory.
Additionally, Microsoft announced that it would start selling $80 games this coming holiday season. An admittedly not-too-surprising announcement, considering Nintendo broke the $80 seal with the Switch 2.
Both of the company’s first-party Switch 2 titles, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, will set you back $80.
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