The Switch 2 launched for $449.99—now, it costs $499.99. But Nintendo isn't planning another price hike.
As reported by Reuters, the global memory shortage (often called the 'RAMpocalypse') spurred on by AI data centers has seen computing costs rise across the board, with next-gen consoles now looking at price tags of over $1,000.
However, according to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, the company has been able to secure enough memory to weather the shortage. As such, it is not currently considering future changes to the price.
Data centers are driving up prices because they require significant amounts of RAM, and manufacturers are now prioritizing AI companies over consumers.
That could, of course, change, but with the console already rising by $50 within its first year, rather than dropping as is typical with hardware, it's reassuring that Nintendo has hit pause for now.
As for rival console makers, Sony has also secured enough memory for the next fiscal year, which hopefully means that the PlayStation 5 won't face any further price hikes either. The PS5, for context, launched at $499.99 in 2020, but it now retails at $649.99, while the PS5 Pro is a staggering $899.99 in the US.
99 —has struggled to keep costs down despite working with suppliers to avoid another increase. 5 times, and expects them to double again by fall 2027 .
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