After months of rumors and speculation, it's official: the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a price increase. Despite launching less than a year ago for $449.99, the top pick from our guide to the best handheld consoles will have a new $499.99 price point as of September 1, which, if math isn't your strong suit, is an increase of $50. Don't think you're getting away with it if you're reading this outside of the US, though. Unfortunately, the Switch 2 is about to get more expensive wherever you're reading this from.
In Europe, the cost of the Switch 2 is going up from €469.99 to €499.99, while in Canada, it's another $50 increase, from $629.99 to $679.99. As with the US, all these price hikes are kicking in as of the start of September. At the time of writing, we don't have any details on pricing in the UK, but a spokesperson for Nintendo told The Sixth Axis that revised prices for other European currencies will be coming "at a later date."
In Japan, the cheaper Japanese language version of the Switch 2, which launched as a more affordable alternative, is going up in price as of May 25 by ¥10,000 - the equivalent of around $60. That's just the tip of the iceberg in Nintendo's home country, though, with the company also raising prices for all three Switch models - the original, the Lite, and the OLED - with Nintendo Switch Online also getting more expensive.
While the news of a Nintendo Switch 2 price hike is disappointing, it isn't surprising. Thanks to the skyrocketing prices of RAM and issues surrounding availability - referred to by many as RAMageddon - Nintendo isn't the first to increase the price of its products in 2026. In just the last month, we've seen the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and Legion Go S each get substantial price hikes, while smaller Android handheld brands such as Retroid and Ayaneo have had to pull devices from sale.
The big question now is whether the Switch 2 is still worth picking up for $499.99. Personally, I still think it's worth it, and with no signs of the RAM crisis letting up anytime soon, I think it's something we're just going to have to get used to when it comes to gaming phones, other handhelds, and anything else that requires memory. However, we'll have until next May to see how these Switch 2 price hikes affect sales in Nintendo's financial reports.