Will Nintendo Raise the Price of Switch 2 Amid Surging Memory Costs? 'I Cannot Comment on Hypotheticals,' Nintendo Boss Responds

Since launching past June, the Switch 2 has fixed players caller games from Nintendo franchises (such arsenic Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders), arsenic good arsenic ports of games from different consoles, specified arsenic Final Fantasy VII Remake, proving that the Switch 2 is susceptible of moving much demanding games than its predecessor. However, the motorboat has besides faced immoderate issues, specified arsenic criticisms of the Game-Key Card mean and shortages of consoles (especially successful Japan, wherever precocious request meant Switch 2 income being restricted to a lottery strategy for astir of 2025). Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa precocious dropped immoderate hints astatine what is adjacent for the Nintendo Switch 2 arsenic it enters its 2nd year.

As spotted by Nintendo Life, Japanese paper Kyoto Shimbun precocious interviewed the Nintendo president astir the aboriginal of the Switch 2. Nintendo Patents Watch gave a summary of the paywalled article, which is referenced here.

There person been concerns astir imaginable terms increases for the Switch 2, with the existent economical concern and representation costs. Memory prices are connected the emergence due to the fact that almighty AI chips person precocious requirements, with quality outlets similar CNBC reporting that determination won’t beryllium capable representation to conscionable worldwide request successful 2026.

According to Furukawa, existent representation prices volition person nary contiguous interaction connected Nintendo’s fiscal show acknowledgment to Nintendo’s inventory and contracts with suppliers. However, the Nintendo president noted that “we indispensable show the concern closely.” As to whether oregon not consumers would person to woody with terms increases, Furukawa said “I cannot remark connected hypotheticals.”

According to CNBC, determination won't beryllium capable RAM to conscionable request this twelvemonth due to the fact that companies similar Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices, and Google request truthful overmuch of it for their artificial quality chips, and those companies "are the archetypal ones successful enactment for the components." As a result, prices for representation are rising. In December, Micron - 1 of 3 superior representation vendors - said it would discontinue a portion of its concern that aimed to supply representation for user PC builders truthful the institution could prevention proviso for AI chips and servers.

As for what offerings we tin expect to spot connected the Switch 2 successful the future, Furukawa hinted that “we are processing fashionable bid titles that galore fans are waiting for, but besides wholly caller software.” On that note, the Switch 2 has yet to person a caller mainline The Legend of Zelda game, though bid shaper Eiji Aonuma precocious suggested that the adjacent Zelda rubric mightiness gully connected elements from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. As for caller archetypal enactment titles connected the skyline successful 2026, Mario Tennis Fever is coming successful February with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book owed aboriginal successful the year. Furukawa’s remark suggests that Nintendo volition denote much games successful the adjacent future.

As good arsenic visual, show and storage-related improvements implicit the archetypal Switch, the Switch 2 has already introduced immoderate caller features similar GameChat, GameShare, and the caller JoyCon’s quality to beryllium utilized similar a mouse. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot however upcoming Switch 2 exclusives marque usage of the caller console’s features.

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Verity Townsend is simply a Japan-based freelance writer who antecedently served arsenic editor, contributor and translator for the crippled quality tract Automaton West. She has besides written astir Japanese civilization and movies for assorted publications.