Nintendo Officially Rules Out Another Switch 2 Prince Increase

Published Nov 5, 2026, 7:05 AM EST James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com The Switch 2 launched for $449.99—now, it costs $499.99. But Nintendo isn't planning another price hike. As reported by Reuters, the global memory shortage (often called the 'RAMpocalypse') spurred on by AI data centers has seen computing costs rise across the board, with next-gen consoles now looking at price tags of over $1,000. However, according to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, the company has been able to secure enough memory to weather the shortage. As such, it is not currently considering future changes to the price. That could, of course, change, but with the console already rising by $50 within its first year, rather than dropping as is typical with hardware, it's reassuring that Nintendo has hit pause for now. What About PlayStation And Xbox? PlayStation As for rival console makers, Sony has also secured enough memory for the next fiscal year, which hopefully means that the PlayStation 5 won't face any further price hikes either. The PS5, for context, launched at $499.99 in 2020, but it now retails at $649.99, while the PS5 Pro is a staggering $899.99 in the US. However, Xbox, which has seen enormous price hikes—the Series X now costs $799.99—has struggled to keep costs down despite working with suppliers to avoid another increase. The company says memory and storage have already risen more than 2.5 times, and expects them to double again by fall 2027. "The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis," Xbox said. "But the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make." So, Nintendo and PlayStation appear to be done with price hikes for the fiscal year, while Xbox Series X/S consoles risk further increases. It doesn't mark the end of the global memory shortage, however, as next-gen consoles are still set for unprecedented price tags. But it's at least a reprieve from the unending news cycle of $50 bumps. Brand Nintendo Original Release Date June 5, 2025 Original MSRP (USD) $449.99 Operating System Proprietary Resolution 1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked) HDR Support Yes