Switch 2 Now Costs $499.99 in the US: What Changed on September 1
Nintendo's $50 price increase took effect today. Here's what Nintendo said, where sales stand, and what the company is forecasting.
The Nintendo Switch 2 just got more expensive. As of September 1, 2026, the console’s US suggested retail price moves from $449.99 to $499.99, a $50 increase. Nintendo announced the change on May 7, giving shoppers nearly four months of notice.
What Nintendo said. The company attributed the revision to “various changes in market conditions, which are expected to extend over the medium to long term.” It also acknowledged the sting: “We understand that pricing changes can be challenging for customers and deeply appreciate the continued enthusiasm of our fans.”
What’s affected. The notice covers the Switch 2 system in the United States. Original Nintendo Switch pricing was not changed in that announcement, and Latin America pricing was to be announced separately. Nintendo Life’s coverage of the company’s earnings notes that Japan’s increase took effect earlier, on May 25, 2026, with Western markets following on September 1.
Where sales stand. Nintendo reported its April-June quarter results on August 6. Per Nintendo Life’s report, Switch 2 shipped 3.82 million units in the quarter, bringing the lifetime total to 23.68 million as of June 30. That quarter was down about 34 percent from the same period a year earlier, which included the console’s launch in June 2025.
Nintendo’s own framing was upbeat. As quoted by Nintendo Life: “For a hardware system in its second year, sales compare favorably to the adoption trajectory of Nintendo Switch.” Game Informer’s summary of the same report adds that Nintendo called sales “strong” and left its full-year financial forecast unchanged.
What Nintendo expects next. According to Nintendo Life, the company’s forecast for the fiscal year is 16.5 million Switch 2 units and 60 million Switch 2 software units. Nintendo also said that keeping up “a strong cadence of new software releases is crucial” to growing the installed base.
The bigger picture. Nintendo isn’t alone. Sony raised PS5 prices in April, Microsoft announced Xbox increases that took effect August 1, and Valve raised Steam Deck prices in May. Microsoft’s own explanation pointed to memory and storage costs, a pressure that has hit the whole industry.
Bottom line. If you were waiting to buy a Switch 2, the window at the old price has closed. The console is now $499.99 in the US, and Nintendo is betting a steady release schedule will keep momentum going through year two.