Despite the AI-driven component shortage continuing to drive memory prices through the roof, Nintendo isn't currently planning to increase the Switch 2 price. The console's price increased to $500 earlier this year, but it seems Nintendo believes it has the memory stockpiles necessary to weather the pricing storm for now.
Nintendo isn't considering additional changes to the price of the Switch 2, president Shuntaro Furukawa says in the company's latest financial report, according to Reuters. Furukawa adds that the company remains well positioned to secure the memory components it needs to continue meeting demand for the console.
Switch 2 sales are down 37% compared to last year, though the numbers still compare favorably to the original Switch and PS5. Nintendo has worked to keep the average Switch 2 price fairly steady by changing its bundle structure after the price hike, and it's been doing what it can to insulate itself from the broader economic factors driving up the cost of electronics.
With all that being said, Furukawa has never entirely ruled out the possibility of further Switch 2 price increases. "While uncertainties remain regarding future trends in component prices, we recognize that they could have an impact not only this year but next year as well," he told investors this past May. "As for what comes after that, we will make necessary preparations to ensure that we can respond flexibly to whatever situation arises."
One of Nintendo's major manufacturing partners is changing its business in response to the AI-driven memory demand, as Macronix recently announced that it's ditching the cartridge-making business in order to focus on supplying memory to data centers. Macronix builds the parts for Switch 1 cartridges, not Switch 2 games, so the news is unlikely to affect Nintendo's current console, but it shows how big an effect the AI boom is having on the business of selling electronics.
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