Reports suggest a 2026 increase amid surging hardware costs and shifting next-gen plans.
According to new reports, the Nintendo Switch 2 may cost more in 2026. This could cause a lot of trouble in the gaming business. Talk in the industry has recently increased that growing costs for internal parts, especially RAM, could force Nintendo to change the price of the system soon.
The problem isn’t unique. It is said that the ongoing shortage of RAM has caused costs to rise across the entire tech market, affecting PCs, graphics cards, and even handheld devices.
Memory prices have already gone up for consumers compared to previous years.
Manufacturers are also feeling the pinch as AI continues to use up a lot of the world’s memory supply. The effects look like they go beyond Nintendo games. More and more people are worried that Sony, Microsoft, and other hardware makers could also have to deal with similar cost challenges.
In fact, talks about possible release dates for the next generation of consoles have started to surface, which suggests that hardware plans may be changing across the board.
A new story from a report adds more weight to the discussion by saying that Nintendo is thinking about changing the price of its newest console in 2026. Nintendo and Sony officials wouldn’t say anything about it in public, but people who know what’s being said inside the companies say that price flexibility is being thought about.
Even though nothing has been confirmed for sure, the consequences are big. The price of the Switch 2 might not stay the same for long if costs keep going up.
Lack of RAM changes the game console scene.
It all comes down to what many people are now calling a RAM problem. Memory prices have gone up in the last year or two, and suppliers are said to be having trouble keeping up with rising demand around the world. The growth of AI infrastructure has put a lot of pressure on DRAM production, making it harder for consumer tech companies to make money.
As a response, companies that make graphics cards have already changed how they make their products. It is said that some companies are reissuing or changing the configurations of devices to lower the cost of memory. The effect could spread to video game consoles, especially those that want to beat the highest speed standards.
There are also rumors that Sony might delay the release of its next-generation system, which most people think is the PlayStation 6. This could mean that it won’t come out until 2029. Sony hasn’t officially stated that there will be a delay, but there is some talk that the high memory needs could make system costs too high, possibly getting close to $1,000 if things keep going the way they are.
In this situation, Nintendo might be carefully thinking about what to do. Hardware prices have been kept low by the company in the past, but outside forces may make it hard to be flexible.
What would a price hike for the Switch 2 look like?
Analysts and critics think that if Nintendo does decide to raise the price, it could be around $50. That means that the base model might cost around $500, while bundle versions, like a Mario Kart-themed set, would cost around $550.
Special bundles are said to be available for a short time right now, but they have been widely available. If prices change, Nintendo might decide to keep the value of the deal the same to cushion the blow. Instead of just raising the price of the base unit without adding any value, one approach could be to standardize a premium bundle configuration.
When deciding what to buy, people may want to think about the right time. If the RAM problem gets worse or isn’t fixed by 2026, it’s not impossible that prices will change for all hardware in the business.
Nintendo’s best defense may be its software.
Pricing isn’t the only thing that matters in the end. For Nintendo, how well customers accept any possible price hike could depend on how much software they make.
People have said good things about the company’s 2025 lineup, which has regular releases and important changes. Performance improvements were made to games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, making 60FPS play easier. Along with new and improved games, Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart World continued to be big hits on the platform.
If 2026 brings big first-party hits like a new 3D Mario game or a flagship Pokémon game, buyer confidence could stay high even if hardware prices go up. In the past, Nintendo has counted on the popularity of its exclusive software to support the value of its hardware.
Shuntaro Furukawa, President of Nintendo, has said before that the second and third years of a console’s life are very important for its long-term success. If the start window was in 2025, then 2026 could be a turning point in the Switch 2’s life.
Should you buy the console now or wait?
The new stories make people who are thinking about buying a Nintendo Switch 2 feel like they need to act quickly. Even though there has been no public price change, signs in the industry show that hardware costs are going up. If memory problems keep happening, changes may have to be made.
But the market for consoles as a whole is still changing. With rumors about Sony’s future hardware plans and ongoing supply problems in the tech industry, 2026 could be a very important year for the economics of game hardware.
Fans and people who follow the industry will have to wait for official proof, and maybe the next big Nintendo Direct, to see how these rumors affect real-world pricing decisions.
