Nintendo's answer to the Switch 2 price hike is not another hardware discount. President Shuntaro Furukawa says the company is trying to make the system feel more worth owning through a stronger release slate.
The comment follows Nintendo's latest round of price revisions, which will raise the Switch 2 from $449.99 to $499.99 in the United States on September 1. Canada and Europe are also getting increases on the same date, while Japan's revised hardware prices start May 25.
Nintendo said in its official price notice that the changes are a response to market conditions expected to last over the medium to long term. In Japan, the increase also affects the original Switch family and Nintendo Switch Online pricing, though Nintendo of America says the original Switch system price is not changing in the US.
Speaking during Nintendo's latest investor briefing, Furukawa apologized for the price change and said the company needs to strengthen what players get from owning the console. According to a translation reported by Nintendo Life, Furukawa said Nintendo will use software to help clear the higher-price hurdle.
"We will prepare a robust software lineup to enhance the Switch 2 ownership value. We will work diligently to overcome this barrier."
That puts extra pressure on Nintendo's 2026 schedule. The company has already named several Switch 2 games for the year, including Splatoon Raiders, Star Fox, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. Pokemon Winds and Waves is due in 2027, giving Nintendo another major first-party anchor beyond the current year.
The timing is awkward for anyone still deciding when to buy in. A $50 jump does not change what the Switch 2 can do, but it does change the comparison shoppers make against PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and the original Switch. Furukawa's comments make clear that Nintendo sees software cadence as the way to soften that blow, especially as buyers in the US, Canada and Europe still have a few months before the new Switch 2 prices take effect.