Nintendo Switch 2 could get more expensive in 2026: what Bloomberg’s report suggests

26 February 2026
Nintendo Switch 2
11 min.
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Nintendo Switch 2 could get more expensive in 2026: what Bloomberg’s report suggests

Summary:

Bloomberg’s reporting has put a fresh spotlight on something a lot of gamers can feel in their bones: hardware pricing is not living in a calm, predictable world right now. The key detail is simple but important. Nintendo is reportedly considering raising the retail price of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026 because component costs are climbing, but a final decision has not been made. That “considering” part matters, because it keeps this in the realm of planning and scenario testing rather than a locked-in announcement. In other words, we are looking at a company weighing trade-offs, not a company pressing the big red button today.

The bigger backdrop is where this gets interesting. Memory pricing and availability have been under pressure, and consoles are exactly the sort of product where a few dollars of added cost can snowball into tough choices. Do you keep the sticker price steady and accept thinner margins? Do you raise the price and risk slowing momentum? Do you change the bundles so the value story stays strong even if the number on the shelf tag creeps up? Those are the kinds of levers that can make a price shift feel either like a gut punch or like a shrug, depending on how it is presented.

For anyone thinking about buying a Switch 2 soon, the practical takeaway is not panic. It is awareness. A possible 2026 adjustment does not guarantee anything about tomorrow, but it does suggest we should keep an eye on signals like bundle changes, regional price updates, accessory pricing, and Nintendo’s wording in financial Q&A. If you like certainty, you will want to watch for the moment Nintendo stops speaking in “may” and starts speaking in dates.

What the Bloomberg report actually says about Nintendo Switch 2

Bloomberg’s reporting frames Nintendo’s situation as a live decision rather than a done deal. The claim is that Nintendo is actively considering increasing the retail price of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026 because component costs have risen, and the report also notes that Nintendo has not made a final call. That distinction is not just legal caution. It tells us Nintendo is likely running multiple internal models at once, comparing scenarios where the price stays put versus scenarios where the price moves. If you have ever tried to plan a vacation while flight prices jump around, you know the feeling. You can price it out, you can set a budget, and you can even pick a hotel, but until you hit “book,” you are still in the world of options.

It also helps to be clear about what is not being said. We do not get an official figure for a potential increase, we do not get timing beyond the broad “in 2026” window, and we do not get confirmation from Nintendo itself. The report explicitly mentions that representatives did not respond to requests for comment, which is common in situations like this. So the honest read is that we are being shown a decision in motion, not a decision carved into stone tablets. That is why the smartest approach is watching for follow-up signals rather than treating this as a guaranteed price change.

Why component costs are squeezing console pricing right now

Consoles look simple on the outside, but inside they are a tight stack of parts where pricing pressure can show up in surprising places. When costs rise, it is not always because one single chip suddenly doubled in price. It can be a mix of supply constraints, higher contract pricing, logistics shifts, and the reality that manufacturers compete for the same components across phones, PCs, servers, and now a whole lot of AI-focused hardware. That last point is the one that keeps popping up in industry reporting. If demand for memory is being pulled hard by data centers, everyone else can feel the tug, including consumer electronics.

For a console maker, the problem is not only the raw cost. It is the planning. A platform is built on multi-year assumptions: how much a unit costs to build, how many units ship, how many games attach, and how revenue lands over time. When component pricing becomes volatile, the whole plan starts to wobble like a table with one short leg. Nintendo can respond in several ways, but each option has a consequence. Hold the price and accept less profit per system, raise the price and risk slowing sales, or reshape the offering so value stays convincing even if pricing shifts. None of those are painless, which is why “considering” can last a while.

Memory is the troublemaker, and it hits consoles in weird ways

Memory is one of those components that sounds boring until it suddenly becomes the main character. When memory pricing spikes, it can affect the cost of building consoles directly, but it can also influence the wider ecosystem. If the supply chain tightens, vendors prioritize bigger buyers or higher-margin segments, and contract pricing can shift fast. Industry coverage around memory constraints has been tying this pressure to AI-driven demand, with knock-on effects across consumer tech. That matters for a console like Switch 2 because memory is not a luxury add-on. It is foundational. You cannot simply “ship it with less” without changing performance targets, development assumptions, and the user experience.

There is also a second-order effect that is easy to miss. When a new console launches and demand is high, it can drive purchases of related storage and memory products in the market, adding extra stress to categories that are already tight. That kind of surge is exactly the sort of detail that shows up in reporting like this, because it illustrates how consoles sit inside a broader hardware economy. If you have ever watched one popular product sell out and then noticed everything adjacent also gets scarce, you have seen the same domino effect in miniature.

Why a DRAM spike can ripple into the final sticker price

A DRAM price spike sounds like a niche detail, but it can be the difference between “we can absorb this” and “we need to adjust.” Console pricing is often planned around thin margins, especially early in a generation when the goal is to build an install base. If one core component suddenly costs meaningfully more, the math changes. A few dollars here and there can turn into a large annual impact when you are shipping millions of units. That is why companies track component pricing obsessively and why reports like Bloomberg’s focus on the parts side of the equation. The console is the headline, but the bill of materials is the quiet driver.

There is also the retail reality. A company can sometimes shave costs through renegotiated contracts or manufacturing efficiencies, but those wins can take time. If costs rise quickly and stay elevated, a firm can either accept lower profit per unit, shift the mix toward higher-priced bundles, or raise the baseline price. Each path affects consumer perception differently. Raising the sticker price is the most obvious, but it is not the only option. Sometimes a pricing change arrives wearing a disguise, like a bundle becoming the default and the base model quietly fading into the background.

Nintendo’s playbook on pricing, and why this decision is delicate

Nintendo is famously careful with pricing decisions because the company tends to treat hardware momentum as a strategic asset. A console’s price is not only a number. It is part of the brand promise, the “is this worth it” conversation you have with yourself in a store aisle, and the comparison shoppers make against rival platforms. If Nintendo believes Switch 2 has a strong value story at its current price, adjusting that price is not just a cost response. It is a message to the market. That is why reports emphasizing “no final decision” ring true. Nintendo would likely want to test the impact across regions, retail partners, and timing windows before committing.

We should also remember that pricing decisions are rarely isolated. They sit alongside software pricing, bundle strategy, accessory pricing, and promotional cadence. If Nintendo expects a strong lineup in the second half of the year, it might feel more comfortable making an adjustment then, when excitement is high and the perceived value is easier to defend. On the flip side, if Nintendo wants to keep adoption fast, it might look harder at internal cost savings or alternative approaches. This is like trying to keep a balloon steady in the wind. You can grip tighter, you can change your stance, or you can move indoors, but you cannot pretend the wind is not there.

What a 2026 price change could look like in practice

If Nintendo does move on pricing in 2026, there are a few ways it could appear to consumers. The most direct is a straightforward retail price increase for the base system. That is the cleanest approach operationally, but it also creates the loudest headline. Another possibility is a regional adjustment, where pricing shifts in specific markets first due to currency movement, tax structure, or regional supply conditions. Companies sometimes do this because it limits the immediate global shock while still addressing cost pressure where it hurts most. From a buyer’s perspective, that can feel confusing, like watching the same product cost different amounts depending on which side of a border you stand.

A third route is that the “price” does not change, but the default offering does. For example, a bundle with a marquee game could become the primary SKU on shelves, effectively raising the minimum spend even if the base model technically still exists somewhere in the background. The practical result is similar: you pay more to get in. The emotional result can be different, because you are getting something tangible in return. If you have ever upgraded a meal deal because it came with fries and a drink, you understand the psychology. Value can soften the sting, even when the total climbs.

Bundles, pack-ins, and quiet tweaks that feel like a price change

Bundle strategy is one of the most powerful tools Nintendo has because it reframes the conversation. Instead of “the console costs more,” the pitch becomes “the console plus something you want is the standard.” That can be especially effective if the pack-in is a game with broad appeal, a subscription trial, or extra storage. It also gives Nintendo room to manage margins without making the base price the only lever. This approach shows up across the industry because it can protect the perceived deal while still improving the economics behind the scenes.

There are also quieter tweaks that can land with less fanfare. Accessory pricing can shift, bundle availability can change, or certain versions can become harder to find at the old price point. None of these feel as dramatic as a headline price increase, but they can shape what people actually pay in the real world. If you are shopping, the only price that matters is the one you can actually buy. A “base model” that is always out of stock might as well be a myth, like a legendary Pokémon you never encounter no matter how many steps you take.

What Nintendo can adjust without rewriting the whole lineup

Without touching the main sticker price, Nintendo can still steer the average purchase upward by adjusting the mix of what is available and what is promoted. That can include making a higher-value bundle the easiest option to find, offering retailer-exclusive bundles that become the practical default, or pairing the system with accessories that have healthier margins. Nintendo can also fine-tune promotions, like shifting from direct discounts to bundled value, which keeps the “price” stable while changing what you receive for it. From a business angle, that is a way to protect revenue without triggering the immediate backlash that a blunt price increase can cause.

Another lever is timing. Nintendo can wait for a software moment that makes the value case feel stronger, then align any pricing adjustment with a wave of excitement. It can also stagger changes by region, which is common in global consumer electronics. None of this requires redesigning hardware or rethinking the platform. It is more like rearranging the furniture in a room so it feels new, even though the walls are the same. For buyers, the key is that these changes can happen gradually, so staying alert to bundle shifts can matter as much as watching for an official price announcement.

What this could mean if you are buying soon

If you are planning to buy a Switch 2 soon, the biggest question is how much you value certainty versus flexibility. A report about a possible 2026 price increase does not automatically mean you should rush out today, but it does suggest that waiting could come with pricing risk. Think of it like booking travel in a season where prices tend to rise. You might still find a deal later, but you are accepting uncertainty in exchange for waiting. If you already know you want the system and you have the budget, buying sooner can remove the “what if the price jumps” anxiety.

On the other hand, if you are more value-focused, you might prefer to watch how Nintendo handles bundles and promotions. Sometimes a higher price is paired with a better default package, which can be a net win if you wanted the pack-in anyway. Also, if Nintendo does not finalize a decision, nothing changes. The practical approach is to decide what you want most: the lowest possible entry price, the best bundle value, or the confidence of buying when you are ready. There is no single right answer, but there is a calm way to make the choice without doomscrolling yourself into a headache.

What to watch next so you are not caught off guard

The next signals are likely to show up in a few predictable places. First, watch Nintendo’s own communications around financial results and Q&A, because that is where companies sometimes acknowledge cost pressure in careful language. Second, watch retail behavior: if bundles become the default, if base units quietly become scarce, or if regional pricing updates appear. Third, watch the broader tech story around memory pricing and supply, because if that pressure eases, the urgency for a price change can ease too. None of this requires insider knowledge. It is more like reading the weather by looking at the sky, the wind, and the forecast, not by staring at one cloud.

Finally, pay attention to timing around major releases. Big software launches can change the value story overnight, and that can influence how any pricing adjustment is received. If Nintendo expects demand to remain strong, it may feel more confident making changes. If the market feels softer, it may prioritize keeping the entry point steady. Until Nintendo speaks directly, the responsible stance is to treat this as a possibility with credible reporting behind it, not as a promise. That mindset keeps you informed without turning every rumor into an emergency.

Conclusion

Bloomberg’s reporting points to Nintendo weighing a Switch 2 retail price increase in 2026 because component costs are rising, while also stressing that no final decision has been made. That leaves us in a middle zone where planning is visible but outcomes are not locked. The practical takeaway is to stay alert to how Nintendo may respond, because pricing can shift directly through the sticker price or indirectly through bundles and availability. If you are buying soon, the best move is choosing based on your budget and your tolerance for uncertainty, not on panic. Watch for official language, watch for bundle changes, and remember that “considering” is not the same as “confirmed.”

FAQs
  • Has Nintendo confirmed a Switch 2 price increase for 2026?
    • No. The report indicates Nintendo is considering a change, but it also says the company has not made a final decision.
  • What is driving the talk of a possible Switch 2 price hike?
    • Rising component costs, with reporting that highlights memory pricing pressure as part of the broader situation affecting the industry.
  • Could Nintendo raise the price without changing the base sticker price?
    • Yes. Nintendo could shift the default offering toward bundles, change availability, or adjust value packs so the typical purchase costs more even if a base SKU still exists.
  • Should we buy a Switch 2 now to avoid a potential increase?
    • It depends on your priorities. Buying sooner can remove pricing uncertainty, while waiting could bring better bundles or promotions, but also carries the risk of a higher entry cost.
  • What signs should we watch for next?
    • Look for Nintendo’s financial commentary, regional pricing updates, bundle shifts at major retailers, and broader reporting on memory supply and pricing trends.
Sources
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