After the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S became more expensive, Nintendo is now following suit. In Japan, where the price increase for the Switch 2 has already come into effect, the receipt followed promptly.
As we know, the days when gaming hardware became cheaper over time are over – instead, prices are literally exploding.
Sony also recently felt the consequences: just last month they had a clear one Slump in PS5 delivery numbers while at the same time drastically reducing the sales forecast for the current 2026/2027 financial year corrected downwards.
On top of that, we only received news today that PS5 sales in the UK compared to the previous month dropped by a whopping 50 percent are. And now Nintendo is not spared either, as a look at Japan shows. Because that’s where it is Switch 2 price increasewhich was announced at the beginning of May, has been a reality since May 25th – and is leaving a clear mark.
Switch 2 sales in Japan: 87 percent minus week-on-week
Like the current data from the renowned Japanese magazine Famitsu for the period from May 25th to 31st, 2026 show, hardware sales of the Switch 2 have now literally collapsed.
While an impressive 247,880 consoles were sold in the week before the deadline, in the first week after the price increase there were just 31,751 units. This corresponds to a drastic decline of around 87 percent.
However, this crash does not come as a complete surprise. Recently things really started to happen panic buying: After Nintendo announced the price jump, Japanese fans stormed the stores and cleared the shelves.
Sales in the three weeks before the adjustment were consistently well over 200,000 devices per week. But now the market is saturated – and the remaining buyers are visibly cautious about the new price tag.
Upside down world and a forewarning for the West
No wonder: depending on the model, the prices of the Switch family in Japan have increased by 8,000 to 11,000 yen. Even the region-locked standard version of the Switch 2 was increased from 49,980 yen to 59,980 yen – a whopping 20 percent increase.
Particularly strange: This means that the Switch 2 is now more expensive than the digital model of the PS5, which currently sells for 55,000 yen. And the fact that a Nintendo console is priced higher than a stationary home console from Sony has practically never happened in this form in modern gaming history.
Even the original Switch models were hit hard by the price increase. Sales collapsed so sharply that even the Xbox Series X had to admit defeat last week.
The complete Famitsu hardware charts from Japan for the past week (including lifetime sales) are as follows:
- Nintendo Switch 2 – 31,751 (Total: 5,865,213)
- PS5 Digital Edition – 6,527 (Total: 1,302,820)
- Nintendo Switch OLED – 4,162 (Total: 9,585,830)
- Nintendo Switch Lite – 1,810 (Total: 6,972,953)
- PS5 Pro – 1,479 (Total: 360,308)
- Xbox Series X Digital Edition – 408 (Total: 31,544)
- PS5 – 367 (Total: 5,919,834)
- Xbox Series X – 304 (Total: 327,214)
- Nintendo Switch – 229 (Total: 20,300,305)
- Xbox Series S – 123 (Total: 342,219)
What is now being observed in Japan is likely to be a blueprint for what lies ahead in Europe and North America. Because in the West, the price increase for the Switch 2 will not come into effect until September 1, 2026. For us, the price of the console will officially climb from 469.99 euros to 499.99 euros.
For European gamers, this means: If you’re thinking about buying a Switch 2 anyway, it’s better to buy it in the summer months of June, July and August. It is quite possible that there will also be delivery bottlenecks in this country as September approaches.
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