Nintendo Switch 2 Price Hike Pushes It Into Original PS5 Territory
Nintendo fans, this one stings a bit. The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting more expensive in several major markets, and the new US price puts it right in the same zone as the PlayStation 5 when Sony first launched it.
From September 1, 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2 price in the US will increase from $449.99 to $499.99. That is a $50 jump for a console that is still early in its life cycle, which makes the timing feel extra painful for players who were waiting for bundles, promos, or a slightly easier entry point.
The US is not the only market affected. In Canada, the Switch 2 is moving from $629.99 to $679.99. In Europe, the price is being adjusted from €469.99 to €499.99. Japan is also getting hit with a 10,000 yen increase, and the surprising part is that older Nintendo Switch models there are also becoming more expensive.
For Malaysian and SEA players, the important bit is not just the US dollar number. Local console prices usually depend on distributor pricing, currency movement, retailer margins, warranty coverage, and bundle strategy. So even if Malaysia is not listed in the confirmed regions here, any major Nintendo pricing shift overseas is still worth watching. It can affect parallel import prices, grey-market listings, and how aggressive local shops can be with launch bundles.
This is also a weird moment because consoles traditionally get cheaper as time goes on. Usually, once production matures and a platform builds momentum, companies use price cuts to pull in more casual buyers. Nintendo is doing the opposite here. Instead of becoming more accessible, the Switch 2 is moving closer to premium home-console pricing.
The PS5 comparison is hard to ignore. At $499.99, the Switch 2 now matches the original launch price of Sony’s flagship console in the US. Of course, Nintendo’s value has always been different: portability, first-party exclusives, family-friendly multiplayer, and that unbeatable Mario/Zelda/Pokémon ecosystem. But once the price enters PS5 territory, buyers naturally start comparing power, storage, third-party support, and long-term value.
To Nintendo’s credit, the company did acknowledge that the increase may affect customers and apologised for it. That does not magically make the extra cost easier to accept, but at least the company is not pretending players will not notice.
The bigger picture is that gaming hardware is getting squeezed by the same pressures hitting the wider tech world. Manufacturing costs, supply chain instability, and higher demand for parts like RAM and storage all add pressure. The AI boom has also made competition for components more intense, and eventually those costs show up in the gadgets we buy — consoles included.
For now, if you are in Malaysia and planning to buy a Switch 2, the smart move is to keep an eye on official local pricing, warranty details, and bundle value instead of rushing into the first listing you see. A cheaper import may look tempting, but if local support or warranty is messy, that RM saving can disappear very fast.
Nintendo still has the games, and for many fans, that will be enough. But at this new price point, the Switch 2 has to work harder to justify itself — especially in SEA, where every console purchase is a serious budget decision.
Source: Android Authority
