Switch, Nintendo, which has been on sale for more than eight years and has never had an official drop in prices, is about to usher in a “reverse operation” in the United States market — full-line price increases. On Friday, Nintendo sent an early warning to consumers: the old Switch mainframe and its accessories would be priced in the United States, based on “market conditions”.
Contrary to the traditional rule that the game hosts are declining over their life cycle, none of the last generation of Nintendo hosts, Switch (including the Lite and OLED models), will be spared, and some of the Switch accessories (the second price increase in the year) and other products (such as partial aimibo, Sound Clock: Alarmo) will be subject to varying increases.
Specific increase in retailers’ leakage:
Switch Lite: $200 → $230 (15%15%, approximately RMB 1650)
Switch (standard version): $300 → $340 (1313.3%, approximately RMB 2450)
Switch OLD: $350 → $400 (1414.3%, approximately RMB 2870)
Switch 2 Joy-Con handle: The latest pricing is reported to be $100 (approximately $720)
According to the official Nintendo statement: “On the basis of market conditions, the United States price of the Switch series hosts and products of the first place will be adjusted as of 3 August 2025. These include the Switch Standard, the Lite, the OLED and some Switch accessories. Other Nintendo products, including some Switch 2 accessories, specific amibo and Sound Clock: Alarmo, will also be adjusted. The prices of the Switch 2 mainframe, Switch and Switch 2 entity/digital game and Switch Online member service remained the same. But note that price adjustments may be necessary in the future.”
While Nintendo has not published the specific price increases and the reasons for them, given the fact that the United States Switch mainframe is mainly produced overseas, there is no doubt that the United States import tariffs, which have been significantly raised against a number of countries, are one of the main reasons.
Given that Switch has reached the end of her life cycle, the price increase of the old Switch may have prompted hesitating players to opt for a more efficient Switch 2 host, which was recently sold, which may also be one of Nintendo’s marketing strategies for Switch 2. However, the phrase “may be adjusted in the future” in the Nintendo statement has set the stage for a subsequent price increase for Switch 2, “to buy and enjoy” or become a reality.
It is worth noting that this will be the second price increase in the year for spare parts such as Joy-Con, in particular the new $100 price, which will increase the player’s interest in its promised “drive resistance” — hopefully it will be affordable.
For the operation of Nintendo, the resistance of players is relatively intense. A number of players say: “Eight years without a drop in the price and before you leave the market, you want to fight back a wave of ‘Nostal taxes’.” Another player spits out: “Old Switch up after a new Switch up and Nintendo wins, hoping the 100-knife Joy-Con won’t drift.”
Nintendo claimed to be a desperate response to cost pressures, but it could also be a strategy to speed up old-age exits and pave the way for Switch 2, yet United States players are not likely to accept this “late price increase”.