At long last, the Switch 2 is almost here, and pre-orders have been flying off the shelves worldwide – despite the initial cries from many to "drop the price." But if you thought the new console was pricey now, some analysts have warned that there's "a real risk of further price increases in the United States."
To see that tariffs were having an immediate impact on the Switch 2 situation, you need only cast your mind back a couple of months to Nintendo announcing that pre-orders were being delayed in the United States "in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions." Although some feared an immediate price increase could be on the cards, this didn't happen (even though certain accessories did get a price hike).
A few weeks after this, GamesRadar+ reached out to a number of games industry analysts to get their take on the situation, and so we could ask if we should expect the console to get more expensive in the US down the line. And, yes, many do believe that the console might not remain at its current price tag forever.
"If the tariff talks do not progress quickly and Nintendo runs out of the first batch of hardware, price increases are certainly possible," Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japan games industry consultancy Kantan Games tells us. "It's not only chaos but an absolute clown show, so nobody knows what is going to happen even 24 hours from now."
This is a point echoed by Circana executive director and games industry analyst Mat Piscatella, who tells us: "Absolutely, there's the potential for future price increases in the US for any video game product that is sourced from tariff-impacted countries.
"As to how likely this is and the potential timing of further price increases, well, the crystal ball doesn't help much there," he continues. "The chaotic nature of the tariff rollout – and the rapid shifts in policy we've seen – do not provide a firm foundation for predicting scale and timing of potential price increases."
On the other hand, David Cole, CEO of market research and consulting firm DFC Intelligence, is slightly more optimistic, noting that "when it comes to pricing, Nintendo is in a tough spot because they've announced the price." He adds: "If prices rise, many consumers may hold off waiting for them to come down. The threat of tariffs has been around for a while and we assume Nintendo modeled that in when doing the initial pricing. So we consider further price increases unlikely."
However, games industry researcher Joost van Dreunen, who writes the SuperJoost Playlist and teaches at NYU Stern School of Business, isn't convinced that the price already being announced will protect the console from increases in the future.
"There is a real risk of further price increases in the United States, despite Nintendo's public commitment to maintaining the initial price point," he tells us. "The economic pressures from abrupt policy changes present ongoing challenges that could necessitate adjustments.
"While the recent 90-day tariff postponement provides temporary relief, it also creates additional market uncertainty," he continues. "If tariffs exceeding Nintendo's built-in buffer (which I estimate was designed for 10-20% increases) are eventually implemented, we could see price adjustments by late 2025."
Van Dreunen notes that, while Nintendo "has historically emphasized economic accessibility, with inflation-adjusted console prices generally becoming more affordable over time," when it comes to the Switch 2, the console's "pricing trajectory represents a deviation from this pattern, reflecting both global inflationary pressures and the specific challenges of the current trade environment."
He continues: "Rather than immediate price increases, we might first see changes in bundle configurations or reduced holiday discounting before formal price adjustments."
Nintendo itself already noted when it announced the actual Switch 2 pre-order date in the US that "other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions." More recently, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser pointed out that the tariffs make for a "very fluid situation, and it's difficult to determine what may be happening in the upcoming months or weeks."
At the start of last month, Xbox consoles got a significant price increase globally, with Xbox Series X consoles now costing $600 in the US – $100 more than before. This shortly followed what was the PS5's second price hike in less than three years in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia (notably not the United States). Let's just hope that Nintendo isn't set to follow in its competitors' footsteps here.
Keeping up with Nintendo Switch 2 news? While you're here, make sure to check out our list of upcoming Switch 2 games.
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