Should you buy a Nintendo Switch on Black Friday?

2025 marks the first instance where the Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals will also focus on the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2, so many players are gearing up to make that next-generational leap. If you're yet to get your hands on any Ninty console, though, that can make it difficult to work out whether you should buy the original Nintendo Switch this Black Friday instead.

As of June 2024, the Nintendo Switch has sold 143.42 million units in its lifetime (Nintendo financial results, Q1 2024), putting it second in historical records behind the PS2's 155.1 million. That's a figure in decline, though. Far fewer Nintendo Switch consoles were sold last year, as the device entered its eighth year on the market. That's a natural drop in interest, especially now that the Switch 2 is on the scene. Still, there are people out there who haven't yet had their hands on the device - as evidenced by the 2.1 million consoles sold between April 1 and June 30 in 2024.

That means anyone who hasn't yet played through some of this generation's classic titles still have every reason to pick up the older console. It's likely going to be cheaper, easier to get hold of, and more readily bundled than the Switch 2. That's why we're working out exactly whether you should buy a Nintendo Switch over Black Friday or not.

Is the original Nintendo Switch cheaper than the Switch 2?

If you're trying to keep your budget as low as possible this Black Friday, grabbing the original Switch, or an OLED or Lite model is still your best option. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest bit of Nintendo hardware, so naturally, this new and improved bit of tech is the most expensive option - even when you factor in the recent wave of price increases.

As of November 2025, you can grab the standalone Nintendo Switch 2 for $450 / £395.99, or the Mario Kart World Bundle, or the Pokemon Legends Z-A Bundle for $499.99 / £429.99 instead. Meanwhile, the original Nintendo Switch was available for $299.99 in the US, but is now $339.99, the Switch OLED was $349.99 but is now $399.99, and the Switch Lite was only $199.99, but it's now $229.99.

The Switch 2 remains the more expensive option however, but depending on what you want to use the handheld for, it could be better value for your cash this Black Friday, especially if you want to experience the latest Nintendo games and want to futureproof your gaming setup.

What's new with the Nintendo Switch 2?

If you're considering spending that extra $100 toward the Switch 2 instead, then you can benefit from all the lovely upgrades that come with Nintendo's latest bit of tech. Most notably, the Switch 2 is a bit bigger than the original Switch model, thanks in part to its new 7.9-inch LCD display that can hit 1080p and 120Hz.

Sadly, Nintendo did not opt for an OLED display like the OLED Switch, but it makes up for it with HDR support. So long as you own a compatible TV, with HDR turned on your Switch games will look super bright and saturated. Games also look and run a lot better on the new console, which makes sense given its Nintendo's newest bit of hardware.

The handheld is powered by a Custom NVIDIA Ampere GPU, and its CPU has a clock of 998MHz in docked mode and a 1101MHz clock in handheld mode. It's a monumental step up from the older console in terms of performance, and that's aided by the fact that Nintendo has equipped older games with free Switch 2 upgrades. If you want to play older games and have them look their best, titles like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which were notorious for their performance on the original handheld, now have improved frame rates and run at a higher resolution on the Switch 2.

Games don't just run better on the Switch 2, but there are a lot of new and improved changes with this new generation. The new Joy-Con now attaches magnetically, so they're easier to attach and remove than with the original rail system. The new controllers are also equipped with mouse controls designed with first-person shooters in mind. There's also an extra type-C port on the top of the device, so you can attach more accessories or have an additional place to juice up your handheld.

Should you buy a Nintendo Switch on Black Friday? 

With all that in mind, it's difficult to work out whether you should buy a Nintendo Switch on Black Friday or not. We'd like to simplify it, though. If you want to play Ninty's catalog of games for as little as possible, you might as well pick up a console this November. The Nintendo Switch 2 costs more, but its backwards compatibility means you can still enjoy the huge catalogue of Switch games, and still have access to all the upcoming releases, such as Kirby Air Riders, which launches on November 20.

The new Switch 2 also benefits from a larger 7.9-inch display, larger magnetically attached Joy-Con with new mouse controls, a slimmer form factor, an extra type-C port, and, of course, is decked out with a new custom NVIDIA Ampere GPU to produce enhanced visuals and improved gameplay over the last generation.

However, if you aren't too fussed about playing the newest games and have them looking their best, you can wait a little while longer to make the upgrade, and grab an older model instead. Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa, has stated that the company plans to "continue sales of Nintendo Switch hardware" so the older console will still be supported for the foreseeable future.

Even brand-new games like the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 Beyond are also launching on the original Switch on December 4, so you don't have to worry about entirely losing access to new games either. The older console and the new Switch 2 are both worthwhile investments this Black Friday, but hopefully, they will see some price drops when the deals officially roll out on November 28 to make either more affordable and accessible to newcomers.

If you're on the hunt for some Black Friday gaming deals, check out our hubs for the best Black Friday PS5 deals and the bestBlack Friday Xbox Series X deals for discounts on games, accessories and more.