The Nintendo Switch 2 has the potential to see a price increase in the future, though Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said the company would be careful in assessing its options. The main reason behind a possible Switch 2 price hike is due to the ongoing RAM shortage crisis affecting the global economy, as prices on PC components continue to drastically climb.
Furukawa's statement came as Nintendo revealed its latest financial results for the third quarter of the current fiscal year. The results showed that the original Nintendo Switch console has outsold the DS to become Nintendo's best-selling console of all time. The Switch sold an estimated 155.37 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2025. The figures also accounted for the Switch Lite and Switch OLED models. By comparison, the DS sold 154.02 during its lifespan across all configurations. However, both Nintendo systems still trailed Sony's PlayStation 2 console, which has sold over 160 million units.
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A Switch 2 Price Hike is Not Off the Table
While the Switch 2 boasted some impressive game sales figures in its first six months on the market, the possibility of a potential price hike is still on Nintendo's mind. Furukawa said that, while the Switch 2 will not likely see a price hike for the rest of the fiscal year, the company will still consider the possibility, depending on market factors and costs. The main factor behind a potential price increase is the ongoing RAM shortage crisis, which has had an alarming impact on the tech industry since Fall 2025. The crisis came about due to a high demand for memory from AI-based data centers hosted by companies like OpenAI. To meet the demands of the growing AI infrastructure, some companies have shifted some of their manufacturing away from consumer products and toward enterprise customers. Samsung and SK Hynix, two of the world's largest memory manufacturers, struck a deal with OpenAI to meet the demands of the AI server infrastructure.
As a result, price increases on consumer DRAM kits, storage drives, and graphics cards went into effect. Given that PCs, video game consoles, and other household electronics rely on DRAM as an essential component, the consumer market has largely borne the brunt of the price increases. For example, a 2x16 DDR5 RAM kit that sold for $90 in September 2025 will now set consumers back over $400 as of this writing. RAM manufacturers like Micron stated that the ongoing memory shortage may not end anytime soon, and that it could persist past 2026.
The RAM Crisis Could Still Impact Nintendo's Bottom Line
Nintendo's current fiscal year ends on March 31, 2026, with the new fiscal year beginning on April 1. Furukawa previously stated that the ongoing RAM crisis would not have an immediate impact on Switch 2 sales, and his latest comments continued echoing that sentiment. However, Furukawa stated that if memory prices continue to climb, it could hurt the company's bottom line in the upcoming fiscal year. Should the Switch 2 see a price jump, it is unclear what the new MSRP could be. As it stands, the Switch 2's base console price remains $449 before taxes and fees. With consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S already increasing in price, it remains to be seen if the Switch 2 will follow suit.
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Although the Switch 2 still has some uncertainty surrounding it, Nintendo fans could get a glimpse at some of the company's plans for the rest of 2026. Various gaming industry insiders claimed that a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase could happen as early as this week, though Nintendo has not officially stated whether such a broadcast will happen. That said, gamers looking to buy a Switch 2 sometime in 2026 should not wait too much longer to get one.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $449.99
- Operating System
- Proprietary
- Resolution
- 1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR Support
- Yes
The successor to 2017's Nintendo Switch continues down the same path as its predecessor, providing a hybrid experience that supports both home and handheld gaming. Launching on June 5, 2025, with games like Mario Kart World, the basic Nintendo Switch 2 bundle comes with the console, Joy-Con 2, straps for the controller, a dock, an AC adapter, an HDMI cable, and a Joy-Con 2 grip.
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info- Storage
- 256GB internal / MicroSD
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Ports
- 2x USB Type-C / 3.5mm audio
- App Store
- Nintendo eShop
Source: Reuters