Nintendo Announces They're RAISING Prices for Switch 2 Accessories...
- Smash JT
- 18 hours ago
- 3 min read
Nintendo Raises Accessory Prices Amid Tariff Concerns — Switch 2 Base Price Holds (For Now...)
Nintendo's officially confirmed that while the Nintendo Switch 2 console will retain its current listed MSRP of $449.99 USD price tag, for some reason, prices for many of the accessories are going up—some as much as 10%! Apparently this is a move that the company is (of course) attributing to “price adjustments” in response to those recently announced pesky U.S. tariffs. In reality, with the pause on Tariffs, this strikes me as more fear mongering and greed out of Nintendo, not so different than how Sony recently announced they are raising PS+ prices for Canada. If and when the tariffs hit, they can adjust prices accordingly. Getting ahead of something that may or may not happen though? I'm just not on board with this business model.
Despite dodging the brunt of that reported 145% tariff increase announced by the Trump administration earlier this month, Nintendo isn’t emerging unscathed here. The console itself remains unaffected—for now—but peripheral prices are climbing between 5% and some upwards of 10%, with the most substantial hikes hitting the new Switch 2 Camera and Switch 2 Dock.
📈 Accessory Price Hikes at a Glance
Accessory | Original Price | New Price | % Increase |
Pro Controller | $79.99 | $84.99 | +6.25% |
Joy-Con 2 Pair | $89.99 | $94.99 | +5.56% |
Carrying Case | $29.99 | $31.99 | +6.67% |
Switch 2 Dock | $109.99 | $119.99 | +9.09% |
Switch 2 Camera | $49.99 | $54.99 | +10.00% |
These increases come just days before the North American pre-orders reopen on April 24, following an earlier delay due to the somewhat chaotic rollout of tariff news on April 9—the same day the Switch 2 was officially unveiled. What a wild ride it's already been. Feels like a dangerous Donkey Kong minecart jumping gaps almost... But I digress. Sorry. I had to...
Why It Matters
Nintendo’s decision to raise prices appears to be at least on the surface, a preemptive move in anticipation of future rising costs. Though the Trump administration has “paused” most tariffs for 90 days, the pause doesn’t necessarily directly apply to gaming consoles or related accessories, so there is still a bit of uncertainty around these and the threat of significant cost increases looms large.
Retail pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 will begin on April 24, 2025. At launch, the price for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will remain as announced on April 2 at $449.99, and the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle will remain as announced at $499.99. Pricing for both physical and digital versions of Mario Kart World ($79.99) and Donkey Kong Bananza ($69.99) will also remain unchanged at launch.
For now, the Switch 2 console is safe at $449.99, but this grace period may be short-lived. Nintendo themselves have warned that:
...Nintendo Switch 2 accessories will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 due to changes in market conditions. Other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions.
GameChat and USB-C Workarounds?
The Switch 2 Camera, a key component of Nintendo’s new “GameChat” social gaming feature, is now a whopping $54.99. The jump could limit adoption of one of the console’s biggest new features. Nintendo says third-party USB-C webcams will be supported, but even some of those may also see price hikes depending on manufacturing sources.
The Bigger Picture
Nintendo’s move is part of a seemingly much wider industry scramble to deal with rapidly shifting U.S. trade policies, but again, like Sony, it's not limited to the US. Canada is also being impacted so it makes me wonder how much truth behind this supposed "Tariff excuse" there really is.
Many companies are now exploring new manufacturing routes to avoid China altogether, and Nintendo has most likely been quietly stockpiling consoles in the U.S. ahead of a possible future price hike for importing goods. They continue:
We apologize for the retail pre-order delay, and hope this reduces some of the uncertainty our customers may be experiencing. We thank our customers for their patience, and we share their excitement to experience Nintendo Switch 2 starting June 5, 2025.
With uncertainty still hanging in the air, this feels like it won't be the last price change we see from Nintendo in 2025... Not even close. If you're looking to fully equip your new Switch 2 ... you might want to lock in those pre-orders before things go up again. All according to Nintendo's FOMO plan...
~Smash
Shoutout to Insider Gaming for the heads up!
