Nintendo Switch 2 Has a Price Problem, Incoming Trouble for 2026

Nintendo Switch 2 may be about to be hit with a dramatic price increase, following the global RAM price crisis that has hit in the last few months.

To catch you up to speed, the prices of computer memory chips has gone up over the last few months due to investments in AI.

OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies have entered deals with Samsung and SK Hynix to prioritise supply for their datacentres, leaving a lower amount of RAM available for other customers. As a result, the price of DRAM and NAND has risen in recent weeks.

These increases are likely to hit Microsoft and Sony in the next few months, resulting in a price increase for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. A new report also suggests that Nintendo will be in the same boat.

As reported by TechPowerUp, Nintendo has also been hit by these memory price hikes. According to the article, the company faces 'roughly a 41 percent increase for the 12 GB LPDDR5X modules used in the Switch 2, while 256 GB of NAND flash has risen by about eight percent'.

These increases have coincided with the company’s share price dropping to levels not seen since May, before the Nintendo Switch 2 released.

As TechPowerUp points out though, this couldn’t have come at a more awkward time for Nintendo, as “the increased spending on components comes at a time when the new console must demonstrate its long-term commercial viability.”

Official Nintendo Switch 2 promo image, Nintendo

Is Nintendo Switch 2 Facing a Price Increase?

In essence, Nintendo must continue investing in an ecosystem that is becoming increasingly costly to sustain.

This could result in potential price increases for the Switch 2 in the future.

The Nintendo Switch 2 already faces accusations of being a rather costly hybrid console.

While the platform has a base price of around $449.99 in the United States, Mario Kart World launched on the console at $79.99.

Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond also cost $69.99, making them rather steep purchases when you add on the price of the console. It's already costly enough as it is, and customers may not appreciate the additional cost being passed on to them.

This could make Nintendo’s goal of shifting 19 million units by 31 March, 2026 quite tricky.

At the moment, the company reports it has sold 10.36 million Switch 2 units (as of November 2025), but this may slow down following a potential price increase due to the RAM shortages.