The Japanese leisure large Nintendo launched the much-awaited successor to the Change handheld gaming console in June 2025, dubbed Change 2. It provided upgrades in virtually all features, together with the show, GPU, battery life, and equipment.
The console debuted at a launch worth of $449 (for the console) and $499 for the Mario Kart World bundle. Since then, it has remained out there on the similar worth, despite the fact that different standard consoles just like the PlayStation 5 (Digital Version) and Xbox Sequence S (512GB) noticed worth hikes of $50 and $100, respectively.
Why Nintendo’s $449 retail tag won’t survive 2026
Nevertheless, which may not be the case in 2026. The reminiscence and storage disaster is already affecting the retail costs within the smartphone, PC, and laptop computer trade. There was a dramatic improve in reminiscence demand for AI information facilities. Suppliers are working low on inventory, driving up costs for finish customers.
In accordance with the market analytics agency Niko Companions, Nintendo may observe the footsteps of corporations like Sony and Microsoft. Citing a number of elements, such because the “impression from tariffs, elevated reminiscence prices, and broader macroeconomic situations,” Nintendo may revise the Change 2 pricing.
“The Nintendo Change 2 will see a worldwide worth hike,” mentions the agency in its “10 Main Tendencies To Watch In 2026” report. A world worth hike may immediate revisions throughout all markets the place the Change 2 is on the market, together with america.
Now, Nintendo may go in regards to the impending worth hike in two methods. The primary and most blatant means is to extend the console’s retail worth, which presently stands at $449. The second, and maybe the extra possible, means is to discontinue the $449 console-only SKU and exchange it with the $499 bundle.
The second methodology received’t solely improve the typical promoting worth of Nintendo’s console; it may additionally drive in additional income than the corporate makes from promoting the cheaper one. Whereas it’s clear that Nintendo intends to extend the entry-level worth of its Change 2, a tentative timeline for a similar isn’t totally clear in the intervening time.