Nintendo has revealed that the price of the original Nintendo Switch will be increasing in the United States, citing "market conditions" as the reason for the adjustment. While the Switch 2 remains unaffected for now, the company noted that "price adjustments may be necessary in the future," leaving the door open for potential increases later on.
The New Prices
On August 1st, Target, a popular retailer in the U.S., updated the prices for the Switch and other Nintendo products, to the following:
- Switch OLED: $399.99 USD (originally $349.99) — up $50
- Non-OLED Switch: $339.99 USD (originally $299.99) — up $40
- Switch Lite: $229.99 USD (originally $199.99) — up $30
- Alarmo: $109.99 USD (originally $99.99) — up $10
- Joy-Con 2 Controllers: $99.99 USD (originally $94.99) — up $5
These prices were later reverted on the same day, so it is possible they could be incorrect and the changes will be different on August 3rd. However, it is more likely that Target simply updated the prices early by accident.
Market Conditions?
The "market conditions" cited by Nintendo likely refer to the steep tariffs recently imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on countries involved in Switch production and export. Just yesterday, Trump unveiled a sweeping new round of global tariffs, triggering economic chaos across the U.S.
Notably, on April 2nd, the same day Nintendo hosted its highly anticipated Switch 2 Direct, President Trump announced his controversial "Liberation Day" tariffs, which included a staggering 46% tariff on imports from Vietnam. This is particularly significant given that the Switch 2 is primarily manufactured in Vietnam, a strategic decision by Nintendo aimed at sidestepping earlier tariffs on Chinese goods. That move now appears to have backfired severely, with Nintendo likely planning to hike Switch 2 costs in the U.S. after current already-imported stock depletes.