Nintendo Switch 2 Price Increase Expected Amid Memory Crisis

A new report suggests the prices of Nintendo Switch 2 will rise globally due to the ongoing memory crisis and tariffs. Market research firm Niko Partners has predicted a global price hike for the Nintendo Switch 2 sometime this year in its "10 Major Trends to Watch in 2026" forecast: "The Nintendo Switch 2 is competitively priced compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, after the latter consoles witnessed price hikes last year. But we believe the Switch 2 is set to follow in Sony and Microsoft’s footsteps with its own price hike driven by the impact from tariffs, increased memory costs, and broader macroeconomic conditions. While we do anticipate Nintendo to increase the price of the Switch 2, they may opt to discontinue the $449 SKU and only sell a $499 or higher bundle SKU instead." Niko Partners is widely considered quite credible in the Asian video game industry, so this report holds some ground. Moreover, this prediction is in the realm of possibility. After all, memory prices have skyrocketed in the last couple of months, and have already increased the prices of PC components, laptops, smartphones, and more. This article provides a brief overview of Niko Partners' prediction and what it means for Nintendo fans around the world. Research analyst firm predicts rise in Nintendo Switch 2 prices Niko Partners believes Nintendo will increase the cost of Switch 2 by shifting focus to the Switch 2 bundled version, which costs $499, and will discontinue the more affordable base variant of the handheld, priced at $449. The bundled version of the Nintendo Switch 2 does contain the popular title Mario Kart World, which will make it seem like it's not really a price hike if Niko Partners' prediction comes to reality. However, it would be a much subtler way of increasing the cost of buying a new Switch 2. Both Sony and Microsoft have already increased the prices of their PlayStation 5/5 Pro and Xbox Series S|X. Therefore, if Nintendo follows suit, it won't be entirely surprising. It would just show how much of an impact the growing memory crisis and tariffs have on the gaming industry. Read more: "Operating as usual" - OnePlus India CEO dismisses shutdown rumors