The Nintendo Switch will be six years old come March, with two model iterations (the Lite and the OLED) and unimaginable success. It’s rare for consoles to be out for this long without any sort of price cut, but parts shortages, inflation, a weak yen, and more have driven up the cost of production rather than driven it down. In the face of all this, Nintendo is still holding firm and not raising the price of the Switch (unlike Sony with the PlayStation 5 in some regions)… but they’re apparently thinking real hard about it.
Nintendo, asked whether it would raise Switch prices, says it won't take such actions at this moment, but will continue monitoring situation and carefully consider (whether we need to take the option)."https://t.co/onEzeUmKEX
— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) November 8, 2022
Normally, long before this point in a console’s lifespan, it experiences some sort of price cut — consider the Wii. Released in 2006 for $250, it was cut to $200 in 2009, $150 in 2011, and $130 in 2012. Now, by the tail-end there Nintendo was gearing up for another console, and the Switch is (according to the people in charge) a little over halfway into its lifespan, but surely we should’ve at least seen the price dip to $250 for the base model, if not lower. It’s hard to imagine the Switch’s profit margin being anywhere even close to the red. Nintendo is surely aware of the optics of raising the price of such an old piece of hardware, too. Would it really recoup production costs effectively?
We can’t say, we’re not hardcore financial analysts. But it’s clear that the move would prove unpopular among Nintendo fans, should it ever happen. We’ll be sure to provide updates on if this ever comes to pass.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
