May 8, 2026
Switch and bait?
Nintendo announces price increases for Nintendo Switch 2
Fans groan, shrug, and say they’ll wait for Mario before paying more
TLDR: Nintendo is raising Switch 2 prices in Japan, the US, Canada, and Europe, with older Switch models and online membership also getting more expensive. Fans aren’t melting down, but many are grumbling that Nintendo never gets cheaper and saying they’ll wait for a must-have game before paying up.
Nintendo just dropped the kind of announcement that makes wallets flinch: the Switch 2 is getting more expensive. In Japan, the local-language model jumps from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980, while the price also rises in the United States, Canada, and Europe later this year. Older Switch models are going up too, and even Nintendo’s online membership and old-school playing cards are getting hit. Yes, the price bump has spread from consoles to card decks. Nobody is safe.
But the real show is in the comments, where the mood is a mix of resigned sighing, strategic waiting, and light roast mode. One camp is basically saying, “Meh, not ideal, but I’m still not buying until Nintendo gives me a real reason,” with multiple people declaring they’ll hold out for a big new Mario game or Winds and Waves. Another group is sounding the alarm that with Nintendo, waiting for a discount is a fool’s game because prices rarely come down. That sparked the quietest little panic in the thread: buy now, or accept your fate later.
Then came the classic gamer side-quest energy. Someone immediately asked if Mario Kart on the old Switch is still somehow $70, which is less a question and more a cry for help. Another commenter popped in with “Does this exclude Australia?”, summing up the global confusion perfectly. The vibe is clear: fans aren’t exactly rioting, but they are absolutely side-eyeing Nintendo while keeping one hand on their wishlist.
Key Points
- •Nintendo will raise the Japanese MSRP of the Nintendo Switch 2 Japanese-Language System from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980 on May 25, 2026, while the Multi-Language System on My Nintendo Store will keep its current price.
- •In Japan, Nintendo will also increase prices for the Switch OLED model, standard Switch, and Switch Lite on May 25, 2026.
- •Nintendo plans Nintendo Switch 2 price increases outside Japan, including in the United States, Canada, and Europe, effective September 1, 2026.
- •Nintendo Switch Online subscription prices in Japan will increase on July 1, 2026, and similar revisions are planned in South Korea.
- •Nintendo said rising costs, including higher material prices, are driving open pricing for certain playing cards and Hanafuda/Kabufuda products in Japan from May 25, 2026.