Nintendo Switch 2 Price Hikes Predicted for This Year, Now Might Be The Best Time to Upgrade

The price of video game consoles is a hot-button issue at the moment, with costs rising all the time despite the fact that we are now several years into the current generation of releases from the major hardware manufacturers.

The insane demand for components like RAM from AI data centres has driven up the price of those individual parts so significantly that Sony and Xbox have both raised the price of their flagship consoles over the last year or two. Additionally, hostile market conditions created by tariffs in the United States have worsened the issue overall, particularly for those in North America who want to get their hands on a new console.

Now, it seems even the behemoth that is Nintendo has not been able to resist forces greater than itself, with a price increase for the Nintendo Switch 2 seemingly on the way next year.

Switch 2 Price Rises Are Coming and There is Nothing We Can Do About It

As first reported by TechRadar, market research firm Niko Partners has predicted that the cost of the Nintendo Switch 2 will increase globally in 2026.

That information comes as part of the company’s “10 Predictions for Trends to Watch” in the coming year, noting that the price of the Switch 2 is currently particularly competitive when compared to both the Xbox and the PlayStation 5.

The recommended retail price for the console in the United Kingdom is £395.99, or $449.99 in the United States, compared to £479.99 for the disc version of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X.

Both of those are, of course, excellent consoles, but it is surprising that Nintendo hasn’t chosen to match them more closely in terms of the price of its own release, particularly when it has already proven to be so popular.

Doing so would also help alleviate some of the struggles the company is likely dealing with amid hostile market conditions, while increasing its already impressive profits in the process.

The only small caveat to that prediction is that Niko Partners also suggests Nintendo could instead discontinue the £395.99 version altogether, choosing to sell only the version that comes bundled with Mario Kart World for £429.99.

It’s already fairly remarkable that the company managed to hold out over the last year without increasing the price of the console, so it shouldn’t be surprising if 2026 finally becomes the point at which Nintendo is forced to make a change.

That said, a longer-term solution does need to be found, as component prices are set to continue rising and may eventually force consoles out of the price range of most consumers.