Nintendo Increases Price Of Switch 2 As Hardware Shortages Get Worse

Nintendo is increasing the price of the Switch 2 in South Korea, causing speculation that more price hikes could be incoming.

As announced this week, the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is being increased from ₩648,000 to ₩758,000.

That's roughly from around $420 to $490, if converted to the US dollar currency.

“Following a review of future global business viability in light of changing market conditions, we have decided to adjust the suggested retail price of the Nintendo Switch 2 console in Korea,” reads a statement from Nintendo.

The change will occur on September 1, 2026, one month after Xbox consoles see the third price hike in less than a year.

Global RAM Shortages Have Effected PlayStation, Xbox, And PC Hardware For Months

Hardware like PCs, game consoles, and other gadgets have seen massive price hikes lately, and the blame lies with the AI boom, which has led to tech companies securing stock of RAM and other components for the foreseeable future.

It means that RAM and other PC hardware have become much harder to acquire if you’re outside of this bubble, leading to the price of such components to increase by double, or even triple, their cost in 2025.

Nintendo Switch 2 Joycon Controller, Nintendo

We’ve seen this with recent price hikes for the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Steam Deck, as well as the announced prices of the Steam Machine, which have seen the costs skyrocket as a result.

In the case of the latter, many were expecting prices of the Steam Machine to hit around the $750–$1000 mark, but instead began at $1049 for the 512GB version.

The bundle with the Steam Controller raises the price to $1128, whereas the 2TB version will cost you $1349 (or $1428 bundled with a controller).

On the other hand, Xbox consoles are set to rise by around $100–$150 from August, with Series S consoles with 512GB of storage going up to about $500, and the Series X going up to $750.

Read More: PlayStation And Xbox Sales Hit 25-Year-Low As Nintendo Takes Over

Similarly, Sony also increased the price of PS5 consoles earlier this year, with a standard PS5 going from $549.99 to $649.99. The all-digital version now costs $599.99, while the premium PS5 Pro is now $899.99.

Sony has further upped the price of the PlayStation Portal, with the new price coming in at around $249.99. It did not, however, increase the price of the PlayStation VR2, with the cost remaining around $399.99.

Still, as we brace for an even rougher 2027 with hardware shortages, many people are encouraged to buy a new PC or games console now if they can’t hold out another two years or more for prices to stabilise and come back down.

With system seller games like Grand Theft Auto VI and God of War Laufey on track for release in the future, it seems that more people may be left behind if the price hikes continue to surge.

Hopefully, things will be able to drop down by the time the next generation begins.