TOKYO, May 8, 2026, 20:01 (JST)
Nintendo on Friday announced plans to hike Switch 2 prices across Japan, the U.S., and Europe, despite projecting a drop in console sales through March 2027. That marks a notable shift after a strong debut year for the flagship device. 任天堂ホームページ
Nintendo’s decision is notable: it’s shifting some of the cost burden onto buyers as it works to launch the Switch 2 at the start of its product cycle. The company is bracing for about 100 billion yen in extra costs this financial year, driven mainly by pricier components—memory chips in particular, which are key to game storage and performance—and tariffs, according to its projections. Reuters
Price hikes come just as hardware sales start to lose steam. Nintendo moved 19.86 million Switch 2 units in the last fiscal year, but now it’s targeting 16.5 million. Software, though, is on track to climb—Nintendo projects 60 million units, up from the previous 48.71 million. That shifts more of the company’s hopes onto games after the initial console rollout.
Japanese buyers will see the Switch 2’s price jump to 59,980 yen from 49,980 yen as of May 25. In the U.S., Nintendo plans to lift the price tag to $499.99 from the prior $449.99 starting Sept. 1. Price hikes are also coming to Canada and Europe, with the company saying more regions will follow. 任天堂ホームページ
Nintendo’s latest numbers opened up some breathing space. Net sales soared, coming in at 2.313 trillion yen for the year through March. Operating profit hit 360.1 billion yen, up 27.5%. Net profit? A jump of 52.1% to 424.1 billion yen, according to the company’s earnings release.
Nintendo doesn’t expect to see a similar boost this time. The company is projecting 2.05 trillion yen in sales for the year—a decline of 11.4%. Operating profit is estimated at 370 billion yen, which would be up 2.7%, but net profit is set to fall 26.9% to 310 billion yen. Those forecasts are based on exchange rates of 150 yen to the dollar and 175 yen to the euro.
Higher component costs and currency swings played into the pricing call for the Switch 2, President Shuntaro Furukawa said at the earnings briefing. Even with the hikes, Furukawa expects profitability to stay about flat versus last year. Reuters
Demand is where the uncertainty lies. Serkan Toto, who runs Kantan Games, points to Nintendo’s mostly price-conscious, casual buyer base. “Under more pressure than ever to get more first-party blockbusters out this fiscal year,” Toto said, with the company needing those hits to push the system. Reuters
Nintendo flagged a busier schedule ahead, with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book set for May, Star Fox following in June, and Splatoon Raiders hitting in July. The company also reported Mario Kart World notched 14.70 million units sold last fiscal year, while Donkey Kong Bananza moved 4.52 million—evidence the mainstay franchises are still delivering.
This isn’t just a Nintendo story. Sony bumped PlayStation 5 prices in the U.S.—the standard edition now costs $649.99, up by $100. Microsoft, for its part, has already pushed Xbox console and controller prices higher. Console prices used to drift lower as hardware aged, but these days, higher costs are driving them up instead. Reuters
The rollout’s bumpy. Steeper prices risk stalling uptake before Nintendo really grows its Switch 2 audience. If memory expenses remain elevated or new titles are delayed, the company faces a choice: defend profit margins or keep families coming back for upgrades.
Nintendo shares picked up 3.6% following the earnings release, according to AP. Investors got a mixed signal: Switch 2 looks like a success, but the straightforward phase of its rollout has ended. Apnews
