The Switch 2 currently faces three big questions following its January reveal: how powerful is it, what games will it have, and what will it cost? Nintendo was asked about that last one in its latest earnings call, and while the company’s president remained cagey, he also said Nintendo will continue to take its reputation for affordability into account when determining the final price, which some experts predict will be $400.
The original Switch launched at $300 back in 2017. Since then, however, inflation has driven up the cost of various components, and console makers this generation have declined their usual hardware price cuts, even raising prices in some regions instead. And while it remains to be seen just how good the specs of the Switch 2 might be, this time around the device will also be partially competing with higher-end PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck.
“We are aware that inflation is currently rising and that the exchange rate environment has changed significantly since the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa told investors in the company’s third-quarter earnings call this week, according to a translation by Nintendo Everything. “We also need to consider the affordable prices that customers expect from Nintendo products. When considering the price of our products, we believe that it is necessary to consider these factors from multiple angles. At this time, we cannot announce the specific price of the Nintendo Switch 2, but we are considering it taking into account various points.”
There will certainly be pressure to price the Switch 2 higher than its predecessor, especially because Nintendo traditionally tries to make profit off of its hardware rather than selling it under market value as a loss-leader for selling software. At the same time, Furukawa’s remarks suggest that, despite the wild popularity of the original Switch, Nintendo knows it risks pricing itself into irrelevance if it aims too high.
What might the Switch 2 cost?
So what will the Switch 2 actually cost? Last month, IGN interviewed several industry analysts for their expert opinions. While some think Nintendo could charge as much as $500 for the new device, many are banking on it costing $400. This was the “sweet spot” for Rhys Elliot of MIDiA, and Ampere Analysis’ Piers Harding-Rolls told IGN he was currently basing his sales projections on the same number. At the same time, diehard fans upgrading in the first year would probably be willing to pay more. “Early adopters won’t be price sensitive, and prices can always be lowered,” Circana’s Mat Piscatella said. “Of course, people will want it to be lower than whatever it is it will be announced at.”
And what does history tell us Nintendo will do? Polygon assembled a chart of inflation-adjusted prices of all of the company’s consoles. Starting with the launch of the Nintendo 64, the price has mostly hung around $350 to $400. That seems like the minimum price this time around considering the Switch OLED itself is still $350, and while the Switch 2 is rumored to have a cheaper LCD screen, its other features, including the Joy-Con with mouse-like functionality, are a lot beefier this time around.
Read More: 21 Games We’d Love To See On The Nintendo Switch 2
Polygon also notes that Nintendo has a history of trying to undercut its competition when it comes to price. This is the tradition of “affordability” Furukawa was referencing in this week’s call. But that will be harder to do late into a console generation where the disc-less PS5 is $450 (up from its 2020 launch price of $400). The current cheapest Steam Deck is also $400, though you can also get refurbished ones for under $300 when they’re available.
My own gut tells me that making the Switch 2 cost $400 is the logical play here, with $450 the absolute max the company can charge, unless it debuts something truly stunning during its April Switch 2 Direct that will get people excited to upgrade. I showed my kids the original Switch 2 reveal and they haven’t asked about it again at all, content to keep toiling away in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Families without a parent that writes about video games for a living might feel similarly unmoved about upgrading early if the price is too high. But all of that will depend on everything Nintendo still hasn’t told us about it’s next console. We’ll have to wait a couple more months for that info too.
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