Nintendo raises Switch prices after new tariffs—here’s what you’ll pay

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Nintendo is making headlines for all the wrong reasons this week as the company announced a price hike across its entire family of original Switch systems—including the OG Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED—plus a handful of accessories.

The price increases, which Nintendo claims are due to “market conditions,” will go into effect August 3 for US buyers, following a similar move in Canada earlier this summer, according to Nintendo and Nintendo Life.

Here’s what stings: the standard Switch jumps by $40 to $339.99, the OLED gets a $50 bump to $399.99, and the Lite is up $30 at $229.99, as first spotted in Target listings rounded up by Video Games Chronicle.

Some accessories and select amiibo are also getting pricier, but Switch 2 hardware, as well as physical and digital games for both Switch generations, are (so far) staying put at their old prices.

Why the sudden sticker shock? According to Nintendo, it’s about “market conditions”—but let’s be real, the timing is a dead giveaway.

Just days ago, President Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding tariffs to cover more imports from Vietnam, a country Nintendo moved most of its manufacturing to back in 2019 to dodge earlier China tariffs, as first reported by The New York Times.

Now, with Vietnamese imports facing a 20% tariff, that production pivot is biting Nintendo (and its fans) right in the wallet.

This isn’t the first time Nintendo has played the price hike game. In Canada, the original Switch and Switch Lite went up by $20 CAD, and the OLED by $40 CAD as of August 1, according to Nintendo Life.

US consumers, meanwhile, are left pondering the wisdom of buying a nearly eight-year-old console for more than its launch price.

For those holding out hope that the Switch 2’s price would remain untouched, bad news: while Nintendo says the $449 price tag for its next-gen console isn’t budging for now, the company is warning that future changes “may be necessary” depending on how tariffs shake out, according to IGN.

So, what’s the TL;DR? Nintendo’s price increases are hitting American wallets hard, thanks mostly to geopolitics and tariffs beyond gamers’ control.

The company’s official line is “market conditions,” but if you follow the money—and the headlines—you’ll see that tariffs are calling the shots.

Are the new tariffs to blame, or is there more to the story? Share your thoughts in the comments below—are you holding off on buying a Switch, or biting the bullet despite the increase? Let’s talk! Keep the conversation going with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.