Nintendo has announced imminent price hikes for the original Switch, Switch Lite, Switch OLED, Alarmo, and other gaming accessories it produces in the United States. These price increases are coming almost eight-and-a-half years after the original Nintendo Switch’s launch and about two months after the release of the Switch 2, which is the fastest-selling console ever in North America.
These price changes are set to take effect on August 3. Nintendo cites “market conditions” as the shift for the changes in pricing, but these may just be the latest changes coming as a result of the United States’ recent tariffs on foreign countries.
When and why are Nintendo products going up in price?
Buy your Switch or Alarmo before August 3 if you need to
Nintendo broke the news about the price changes on its website on the morning of August 1. The brief post explained that it is changing pricing for some of its products in the United States “based on market conditions.” Nintendo also states that it does not plan to increase the price of the Switch 2, its games, or Nintendo Switch Online memberships at this time, but admits that “price adjustments may be necessary in the future.”
The post from Nintendo does not specifically detail what the price changes will be, but X user Wario64 spotted that Target briefly increased the price of several Nintendo products after this announcement before quickly reverting it. These were the updated prices Wario64 spotted:
- Nintendo Switch: $340 (previously $300)
- Nintendo Switch Lite: $230 (previously $200)
- Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: $400 (previously $350)
- Nintendo Alarmo: $110 (previously $100)
- Joy-Con 2 Controllers: $100 (previously $95)
Based on Nintendo’s comments, even more of their products could be impacted come August 3. While it’s good that the Switch 2 was not given a price increase so early in its lifespan, it is quite shocking to see a price increase come for an eight-year-old gaming console that has already been succeeded by something new.
On X, video game industry analyst and Director of Research and Insights at Niko Partners, Daniel Ahmad, blamed the United States’ recent tariffs for the price increases, even if Nintendo won’t outright admit it themselves:
20% tariff on Vietnam, 30% tariff on China, 15% tariff on Japan. All markets that Nintendo relies on for hardware and software production. Wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo end up raising Switch 2 prices at some point as well.
Nintendo isn’t the only company to be impacted and increase prices due to the tariffs. Microsoft has increased the price of Xbox hardware, although it backtracked on charging $80 for games. Other hardware companies like OnePlus, Lenovo, and Remarkable have also begun to adjust the pricing of their products in the United States in the months since these new tariffs started to become a reality.
