On August 1, 2025, Nintendo officially announced a price hike affecting various original Nintendo Switch consoles and merchandise in the United States. While the company has not indicated similar changes for its Japanese or European markets, we are aware that price adjustments in Canada took effect on the same date. The U. S.price amendments will be implemented starting August 3, 2025, providing consumers with advance notice about the upcoming changes. In its announcement, Nintendo pointed to “market conditions” as a rationale behind the adjustments, hinting that factors such as tariffs instituted during former President Trump’s administration may have played a role.
Price Changes for Nintendo Switch Consoles
The announcement specifically named three popular Switch consoles that will see price changes along with several other merchandise items. Below is the list of affected products along with their prices prior to the increase on August 1, 2025:
- Nintendo Switch – $299.99
- Nintendo Switch Lite – $199.99
- Nintendo Switch OLED – $349.99
- Nintendo Sound Clock Alarm – $99.99
- Amiibo – ranging from $15.99 (older models) to prices between $29.99 (like Donkey Kong with Pauline) and $39.99 (such as Luke from Street Fighter 6)
Accessories and New Systems
In addition to the consoles, some unnamed accessories for the Switch 2 will also experience price increases. However, it is noteworthy that the pricing for the new system, along with its Nintendo Switch Online tiers, will remain unchanged. Currently, the new console is priced at $449.99 without any bundled games, while a package including popular titles like Mario Kart World or Pokemon Legends Z-A costs $499.99.
Impact of Tariffs on Pricing
These price adjustments stem from ongoing trade tariff concerns, particularly those announced by Trump affecting numerous countries involved in the production of Nintendo products. For instance, a 15% tariff on imports from Japan applies, although Nintendo has relocated some manufacturing to Vietnam, where tariffs are significantly higher at 20%.Tariffs imposed on Chinese products are an alarming 30%, while Taiwanese imports are subjected to a 20% tariff. These trade dynamics reflect current economic pressures and contribute to the pricing strategies from gaming companies globally.
Effective August 3, 2025, U. S.customers will notice an increase in the prices of certain systems, accessories, and merchandise.
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