Nintendo President asked about Switch 2 price increase amid rising memory costs

Unprecedented memory prices are driving up the cost of gaming PCs, but consoles are under threat as well. Kyoto Shimbun (paywalled) asked Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa about potential effects on the company’s latest handheld. The Patents Watch Bluesky account translated some key points, including a question about a Switch 2 price increase.

Nintendo seems prepared for the memory shortage

Furukawa explained that stockpiling parts for its gaming systems is part of a “medium to long-term business plan.” He denied that rising memory costs will affect profitability in the near term. However, the manufacturer will continue to watch how the AI data center-fueled shortage unfolds.

The interviewer also tried to glean whether a Switch 2 price increase was inevitable. Unfortunately, the Nintendo President wouldn’t commit to any changes in its MSRP, saying, “I cannot comment on hypotheticals.”

Gamers have some reassurance that Nintendo is prepared to withstand higher component costs. Its factories may still have a large supply of LPDDR5X on hand, a mobile variant of DDR5 RAM. Or it can depend on the fixed price, longer-term contracts that memory manufacturers are now avoiding. Still, the crisis could last until 2028, making these measures only a temporary solution.

Tariffs could still factor into the Switch 2 price

Before the recent difficulties, tariffs already forced the company to reconsider its plans. The Switch 2 launched at the expected price, but the original Switch and accessories were not as fortunate. Furukawa admitted that the added fees had an impact on Nintendo’s financial outlook. Consumers may have to pay more as a result, but he also wants as many buyers as possible to adopt new hardware.

The executive didn’t comment on the decline in Switch 2 sales in many regions. During the holiday season, the console’s retail performance lagged behind its predecessor in 2017. While stock remained plentiful in some areas, stores in Japan are still struggling to meet demand. On the other hand, these gamers also have a cheaper region-free handheld available.

A more expensive console would cause even fewer Switch owners to upgrade. Even so, for now, it appears that memory prices won’t strain the budgets of Nintendo fans further.