In its latest earnings report, Nintendo announced that it will be increasing the price of the Switch 2 by $50. Starting September 1, the hybrid handheld console will cost $499.99 in the US instead of the current $449.99. Other areas will also see a price increase. In Canada, the Switch 2 will increase from $629.99 to $679.99. In Europe, it will increase from €469.99 to €499.99.
Japan will be hit the hardest. Starting May 25, all models in the original Switch lineup, including the Switch, Switch Lite and Switch (OLED models) and Switch 2, will see a substantial price increase. Japan will also see higher prices for Switch Online and Switch Online+ Expansions for both individual and family subscriptions starting July 1.
This is a serious moment for the gaming industry. Everything from devices to games are becoming more expensive because there isn’t enough memory or storage for consumer products.
The “RAMpocalypse” we are currently in began late last year when memory manufacturers like SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron, which used to sell RAM to consumer tech companies, prioritized their businesses to sell RAM to AI companies like OpenAI, which require enormous amounts of memory for their data centers. Without the ability to buy RAM at affordable rates, RAM (and SSD) prices are skyrocketing, affecting everything from laptops to consoles.
In March, Sony raised the price of its PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal Remote players for the second time in a year. A PS5 that launched in 2020 for $500 now costs $650; The PS5 Pro, which was released in 2024 for $700, is now $900. And the results of the recent price increase are not surprising. Sony announced in its fourth fiscal quarter that PS5 sales fell from 2.8 million units to 1.5 million units year over year – a massive 46% decline. Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki said he is not planning to raise the price of the PS5 again, but how can one be sure what will happen in a year? No one can be certain.
Totoki reportedly said, “We just raised the price, so we have no plans for the next price increase.” “We will keep this current price so that we can manage the business based on this current price.”
It’s not just big gaming and tech companies that are being hit hard by the RAMpocalypse. Boutique companies like AYN, which make small-batch products, such as the popular dual-screen Thor handheld, have been forced not only to raise prices for certain configurations, but also to introduce new, less-capable models to meet demand — “contraction inflation,” if you will.
Zooming out, the RAMpocalypse is much worse than Trump’s illegal tariffs a year ago.
I know it sounds crazy to say, but if you’ve been waiting to get a Switch 2 or any gadget, my advice is to buy it as soon as possible before the prices go up even more. If you have to do your Christmas or birthday shopping a year in advance, do it. This is the reality we live in now – which may continue for the next few years.
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