A new report from gaming research firm Niko Partners forecasts changes in the gaming industry through 2026. One key prediction is that the Nintendo Switch 2 will likely see a price increase worldwide.
According to recent analysis, the next Nintendo Switch currently has a price advantage over the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. However, prices for the Switch are also expected to increase, mirroring trends seen with Sony and Microsoft’s consoles. This is likely due to US tariffs and the increasing cost of memory chips caused by global shortages. Instead of raising the price of the base model, Nintendo might discontinue its $449 version and offer only more expensive bundles instead.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently discussed increasing memory costs. When questioned about a potential price increase for the Switch 2, he explained that Nintendo is carefully monitoring the market, including US import taxes. However, he added that the Switch 2 hasn’t been affected by the memory shortage yet, because Nintendo secured the needed RAM ahead of time.
According to Furukawa, how profitable hardware is depends on things like the cost of getting parts, how much money can be saved by making a lot of products, and changes in exchange rates and import taxes. He explained that it’s hard to make broad statements about this, but their long-term plan is to improve how they get components.
We choose our suppliers based on our plans for the future, but the memory market is changing rapidly right now. We aren’t seeing any effect on our profits yet, but we’re keeping a close watch on the situation.
Nintendo’s Furukawa explained that tariffs in the US are considered a cost that they may pass on to consumers. However, the company also prioritizes keeping prices low to encourage more people to buy their relatively new console.
We’re at a really important time for our gaming business, as we focus on getting people to use new hardware and keeping our existing platforms successful. We’re approaching this carefully and thoughtfully.
According to Niko Partners’ research, the gaming industry is expected to grow significantly in five key regions: Mainland China, East Asia (Japan and Korea), Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore), South Asia (specifically India), and the MENA region (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt).
The company predicts a 40% increase in the number of women gamers in Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by 2026. This growth follows a pattern seen in the market, where games specifically designed for women, such as Love and Deepspace, and competitive games like Valorant, are attracting more female players.
Industry analysts predict that game studios in Asia will slowly move away from relying mostly on gacha and loot box systems to make money. This is largely because there are now so many of these games available, even from big companies like miHoYo who are releasing multiple similar titles. Changes in regulations could also contribute to this shift.
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2026-01-21 17:11