Nintendo President Apologizes As Switch 2 Price Increases, Promises A "Robust Software Lineup" To Make It Worth It

• Price change will go into effect in the US September 1st

• Console will cost $50 more

• Reasons citing include "market conditions"

The fluctuating state of the global economy has continued to do considerable damage to commerce. the cost of living rapidly increases, with no sense of stability coming any time soon. It now runs rampant into escapism, namely video games. As reported by CNBC.com, on May 8th the Nintendo Switch 2 will see its first price hike since its launch last June. This increase will jump the Switch 2 to $499.99USD on September 1st. The price change in Japan hits ¥59,980. Price changes will also hit Canada and Europe.

NINTENDO ADJUSTS SECOND YEAR FORECASTS, ANTICIPATING LOWER HARDWARE SALES

While the hybrid system is the fastest selling console in history, Nintendo is expecting to sell 16.5 million Switch 2 consoles in its fiscal year ending in March 2027. This number is lower than the 19.8 million units it has sold. Supply constraints and higher manufacturing costs have seen Nintendo take a 45% decline in stock shares.

Like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X price increases, these decisions come in the wake of memory shortage concerns affecting technology across the globe. In the wake of this decision, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has ensured that the software lineup for the Switch 2 will "enhance the value" of the console during a financial results briefing, as reported by Nintendo Everything.

"We will prepare a robust software lineup to enhance the Switch 2 ownership value. We will work diligently to overcome this barrier,” Furukawa said.

Furukawa also had a message to consumers, apologizing for the price hike.

“We sincerely apologize to our customers for the considerable inconvenience and trouble this will cause. While we wanted to prioritize a wide adoption, it was challenging to bear the rising costs over a long period. The [new] pricing does not fully account for all cost increases.”

Promising enough for Furukawa to address the state of the Nintendo Switch 2's rather thin library. While Mario Kart World ended up being a quality app and driving force for the strong sales out the gate, and Donkey Kong Bananza has sold tremendously well, there has been little in the pipeline. Nintendo still has yet to post sales information for Metroid Prime Beyond, which does not bode well.

Low attachment rate is generally common for launch consoles, as software can be rather lean in the first year of a platform release, seeing an upturn once long-term development bears fruit. The Switch 2 launched in a very interesting point; the original Switch had quite a monster run, seeing the latest mainline The Legend of Zelda game in Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still being a hot seller at the time, and Splatoon 3 remaining quite popular. This does lead fans asking "what's coming up for the Switch 2?" A new Star Fox game has been revealed to launch this June, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is likely upcoming later in 2026, and Splatoon Raiders is due this July. Economic turmoil will continue to put the game industry in a blender, Nintendo appears to have adjusted to weather the storm. It's too bad it comes at the expense of the player's pockbooks once again.

SOURCES: Nintendo Everything, CNBC.com