Nintendo President Apologizes for Switch 2 Price Hike, Promises Robust Software Lineup

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After announcing a price increase for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 last week, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa issued an apology to customers. He also stated, during a recent financial briefing reported by Nintendo Everything, that Nintendo is working on a strong selection of games to make the Switch 2 even more attractive to buyers.

The main reason for the price increase is the growing cost of making the Nintendo Switch 2. Increased trade taxes and a worldwide shortage of memory have driven up the price of key components like RAM. Nintendo’s president, Furukawa, explained that while they aimed to keep the price affordable to encourage many people to buy it, maintaining that low price was becoming impossible from a financial standpoint.

Furukawa explained that while they aimed to make the product widely available, increasing costs made it unsustainable to maintain the original pricing. They apologize for the inconvenience the price increase will cause, and noted that the new prices don’t completely cover all the rising costs.

Furukawa also clarified why Nintendo is predicting lower sales for the Nintendo Switch 2 in the future. He noted that initial sales were remarkably high due to Nintendo’s efforts to maintain a reliable supply chain. While demand remains strong, sales in the second year are likely to be lower than the exceptional figures seen in the first year.

We saw record-breaking sales in our first year thanks to improvements we made to our supply chain, he said. Demand remains strong going into the second year, and we’re confident that customers are embracing the Switch 2.

The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 will increase by about $50 in all major markets starting September 1st. Currently priced at $449.99 in the US, $629.99 in Canada, and €469.99 in Europe, it will soon cost $499.99, $679.99, and €499.99 respectively. In Japan, the price will rise from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980 starting May 25th.

The upcoming Switch 2 isn’t the only Nintendo console seeing a price increase. In Japan, the OLED Switch model will now cost ¥47,980, up from ¥37,980. The standard Switch is also getting more expensive, rising from ¥32,978 to ¥43,980, and the Switch Lite will increase from ¥21,978 to ¥29,980. Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions are also changing: a single month will cost ¥400 (previously ¥306), three months will be ¥1,000 (up from ¥815), and a year will cost ¥3,000 (previously ¥2,400). The Family plan is increasing from ¥4,500 to ¥5,800.

Nintendo announced strong sales figures, reporting nearly 20 million Nintendo Switch 2 consoles sold by March 31st, 2026, including 2.49 million units in the last quarter. They also confirmed that Pokémon Pokopia has surpassed 4 million copies sold. Total software sales for the Switch 2 have reached 10.78 million units.

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2026-05-11 14:41