Nintendo Switch 2 Price Increase Confirmed Ahead of September Launch Changes

Nintendo is hiking the Switch 2's price, just as other console manufacturers have done with their hardware over the past few years. The company noted that the MSRP of the Switch 2 will increase in all markets, along with other minor changes to the Switch lineup and some Nintendo services. The hike is accompanied by several months' notice before the new pricing kicks in.

The move was made due to market conditions, Nintendo said. Switch 2 is expected to cost upwards of about $50 more worldwide, the announcement said. While Sony and Microsoft's price hikes are for 2020-era consoles, the change is smaller, even though those consoles have already been on the market for years.

Switch 2 Price Goes Up by $50

Consumers have some time left until the new pricing kicks in. Switch 2's price will stay the same until September 1, giving Switch owners more than a third of a year to buy the console before the price hike.

The announcement topic was that Nintendo didn't make the change right away, but warned. The $50 price difference still matters to people who are already interested in purchasing the system, particularly compared to the cost of half a Nintendo game.

Nintendo Online Pricing and Questions Around it

As for the price announcements, part of the announcement also covered Nintendo Online memberships. But much of the information outside the US market discussion seemed unconvincing. It was not clear if the rise in subscriptions was to be applied uniformly or in a specific way.

During the discussion, the other aspect that came up was Nintendo's use of “open price”, which didn't immediately register with everybody who was talking about the news. A key factor that emerged was that Europe and the US are now more aligned on pricing. In the past, the price in the United States had been about $20 lower, but the new pricing seems to have eliminated that discrepancy.

Resale Value was Also Discussed

Switch 2 pricing hike doesn't make it obvious, but if you're considering selling your console in the future, you may want to wait until the new MSRP takes effect. As it turns out, when there are no games, people make immediate purchases.

One side of the discussion said they already owned the system, but weren't using it much. Donkey Kong hadn't even begun yet, as other games and duties had taken its place. Mostly, the game had been sold to family members who played classic Nintendo games such as Donkey Kong 64 on the yellow cartridge.

Otherwise, there was not much buzz when it came to the current lineup of Switch 2. The modern Pokémon games were said to lack interest, and a new Zelda game style like BOW was said to be a way to turn people's heads towards the console.

As speculation arose that the franchise might appear in the Mario Galaxy film, and Nintendo was preparing to make a new game announcement, the discussion turned to Star Fox.

When Star Fox's announcement was official, interest in the game grew.

The new project was enticing on its surface for those who had never played the old Star Fox games. The gameplay style and graphics were exciting, and they brought back a lot of joy to everyone who had recalled the impact of Star Fox 64 at the time of its release.

But enthusiasm waned when it became clear the project was more of a remake than a new one, based on Star Fox 64. Nintendo referred to it as a "classic space shooter" with "redesigned characters and improved graphics. That did change the tone of the discussion in a hurry. At first, it was a good reason to get more interested in the Switch 2, but the remake option was confirmed, and it didn't seem so convincing.