Nintendo has no intention of adding to the Switch 2 price hike that took effect earlier this year, according to company president Shuntaro Furukawa. Speaking on Nintendo’s latest earnings call, Furukawa said the company is not weighing any additional price adjustments, a statement reported by Reuters. The console currently starts at $499 after a $50 increase introduced earlier in the year.
Furukawa Addresses Memory Supply Concerns
Furukawa also used the call to tackle questions about the broader memory crunch affecting the tech industry. He indicated that the situation has not shifted significantly and that Nintendo expects to obtain enough RAM for its needs. The comments come as memory shortages, driven in part by demand from AI data centers, push up costs across consumer electronics.
The president’s remarks suggest Nintendo sees its supply position as stable enough to avoid another Switch 2 price hike for now. That matters because the RAM shortage has already prompted price increases from other console makers, and a supplier in Nintendo’s own cartridge supply chain recently said it would stop producing ROM memory to concentrate on data-center memory instead.
Sales Slip as Console Rivals Raise Prices
Nintendo’s earnings report showed Switch 2 sales fell 37.4 percent year-over-year. The decline arrives after the earlier Switch 2 price hike and against a backdrop of rising costs across the gaming hardware market. Microsoft has raised Xbox Series X and Series S prices more than once, with the Series S starting price climbing from $299 to $499. Sony’s PS5 has also seen price increases, bringing its starting price to $649.
Those moves show how the memory shortage is reshaping the economics of console hardware. For Nintendo, the question is whether it can hold the line on Switch 2 pricing while competitors pass higher component costs to buyers. Furukawa’s comments indicate the company believes it can, at least for the time being, because it expects sufficient RAM supplies.
What the Stance Means for Buyers
For consumers, the immediate takeaway is that the Switch 2’s $499 starting price should remain in place absent a change in Nintendo’s plans. The company has already absorbed one Switch 2 price hike this year, and its president’s statement rules out another one for now. The broader memory shortage remains a live issue, however, and Nintendo’s cartridge supplier’s decision to exit ROM memory production underscores how AI data-center demand is rippling through the gaming supply chain.
Nintendo’s earnings call also provided the sales context: a 37.4 percent year-over-year drop for the Switch 2. That figure and the pricing stance together frame the company’s current position, balancing hardware costs against demand in a market where rivals have repeatedly raised prices. Furukawa’s comments on RAM supply and pricing offer the clearest signal yet that Nintendo intends to keep the Switch 2’s price where it is, even as the memory crunch continues to influence the wider industry.
