About a month ago, Nintendo announced price hikes for Switch 1 consoles sold in Canada. The price increases would apply to all Switch 1 models still available in the country starting August 1. This prompted another wave of speculation that the brand-new Switch 2 console might see price hikes in the near future. Nintendo cited “market conditions” at the time, which was seen as a euphemism for Trump’s ongoing tariff war.
Nintendo on Friday announced another round of price hikes for the Switch 1 consoles. This time, the price increase impacted the Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite sold in the U.S. Nintendo cited the same “market conditions” for the price hike. A day before that, Trump issued an executive order imposing tariffs between 10% and 41% on dozens of countries. The new Switch 1 prices went into effect on Sunday, August 3.
Nintendo’s new move suggests anything is possible with Switch pricing depending on those market conditions. While the company explicitly noted that the Switch 2 price will remain the same as of this writing, gamers who didn’t buy the next-generation console might worry about another round of price increases. The good news is that the Switch 2 stock has generally improved, so it’s easier to find a system at current prices.
How much do the Switch 1 consoles cost now?
Most buyers will be looking for the Switch 2 at this point, but the older models are still great consoles that are still receiving new games. Some people might be happy scoring one of the cheaper options instead of the Switch 2, which starts at $449.99. However, you’ll have to pay between $30 and $50 more for any of the three Switch 1 models now that Nintendo has raised prices:
- Nintendo Switch Lite: $229.99 (was $199.99)
- Nintendo Switch: $339.99 (was $299.99)
- Nintendo Switch OLED: $399.99 (was $349.99)
Select Nintendo Switch accessories also saw price hikes, including the Joy-Con 2 controllers. The Switch OLED price hike stings the most, though. The console is now just $50 cheaper than the standard Switch 2. The latter is the better choice if you want faster performance and want to make the most of the next wave of games that will target the new model.
Will the Switch 2 get a price hike next?
Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 just before Trump announced the first wave of new tariffs that caused concern in early April. Nintendo temporarily halted Switch 2 preorders for the U.S. and Canada. At the time, price hikes seemed to be on the table for the Switch 2. Ultimately, Nintendo chose not to increase the price of the Switch 2.
As a reminder, many rumors said the Switch 2 would start at $399.99. Nintendo shocked some fans by announcing a higher price tag than that. The Switch 2 costs $449.99 when purchased without the “Mario Kart World” bundle. Nintendo also announced higher prices for games, including $80 for “Mario Kart World” outside of the bundle. These decisions made us wonder whether Trump’s tariffs were already factored into the higher price tag. Even without tariffs, the $449.99 starting price made some sense given inflation in recent years.
Fast-forward to Nintendo’s announcement for the U.S. market on Friday, and it’s clear the company can’t guarantee the Switch 2 price won’t change depending on market conditions. “Pricing for the Nintendo Switch 2 system, physical and digital Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 games, as well as Nintendo Switch Online memberships, will remain unchanged at this time,” Nintendo said. “However, please note that price adjustments may be necessary in the future.”
Trump’s executive order on Thursday included a 20% tariff on products imported from Vietnam. That’s where Nintendo builds most of its Switch products. Trump’s recent executive order also suggests other products might see price hikes soon, including the iPhone 17 series set to launch in September.
