Switch 2 Price Rise: Buy Before 1 September or Wait? (AU Guide)

Nintendo is raising the Switch 2's price worldwide on 1 September 2026 — in Australia it jumps from A$699.95 to A$769.95, in the US from $449.99 to $499.99. Nintendo says the pressures behind it are long-term, so this isn't a temporary bump that'll reverse. If you were planning to buy one anyway, buying before 1 September saves you $70 — and current bundles sweeten it further.

Nintendo consoles getting more expensive as they get older is not how any of us thought this hobby worked. And yet here we are: fifteen months after launch, the Switch 2 is about to cost more than it did on day one. Nintendo confirmed the rise back on 8 May, the clock runs out on 1 September, and if you're on the fence, the next couple of months are genuinely the cheapest the console will ever be. Here's the full picture — the new prices everywhere, the sneaky bundle catch nobody mentions, why it's happening, and a straight answer on whether to buy now.

What's happening, exactly

On 8 May 2026, buried in its annual earnings report, Nintendo announced a coordinated global price rise for the Switch 2. Japan copped it first, jumping ¥10,000 on 25 May. Everyone else — Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, Europe, and later Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea — gets hit on 1 September 2026.

For Australia, that means the Switch 2 goes from A$699.95 to A$769.95 — a $70 rise, about 10%. Retailers have been told to honour the current price through 31 August, so any Switch 2 you buy before then is at the old price. New Zealand fares far worse, leaping from NZ$799.95 to NZ$969.95, which is one of the harshest rises anywhere in the world. If you've got mates across the ditch, tell them to buy yesterday.

Every region's new price

Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea also rise on 1 September (South Korea's is a hefty 17%). One small carve-out: the Japan-only multi-language system sold through My Nintendo Store keeps its price. The original Switch's pricing is not changing in Australia or the US — those rises are Japan-only.

The hidden catch: it's actually worse than $70

Here's the detail most coverage skips. Right now, A$769.95 doesn't buy a bare console — it buys a bundle with a full game included, like Mario Kart World, Pokémon Legends Z-A or the upcoming Pokopia pack. After 1 September, that same money buys the console alone.

So the real-world value hit isn't just the $70 sticker rise — it's the roughly $80 game that used to come with it. Buy a bundle before the deadline and you're effectively around $150 better off than someone buying the bare console in spring. That's the maths that turns "eh, $70" into "okay, that's actually worth acting on."

Why Nintendo's doing it (and why it won't reverse)

It's the same story squeezing the whole industry: the memory crisis. AI data centres are outbidding everyone for DRAM and flash storage, and the chips inside a Switch 2 have become dramatically more expensive to buy. We've covered how the RAM shortage got this bad — Nintendo is just the latest to pass the cost on, after Sony pushed the PS5 to US$649.99, Microsoft raised the Xbox Series X, and Valve whacked up to $300 onto the Steam Deck OLED.

Nintendo has been unusually candid about it. The company forecast roughly ¥100 billion (around US$638 million) in extra costs from components and tariffs, and its president told shareholders the new price still won't cover all of it — along with an apology to customers. Crucially, Nintendo describes the pressures as "medium to long term." Translation: this is a permanent repricing, not a blip. Waiting for the price to drop back is not a strategy.

Is the Switch 2 still good value at the new price?

Weirdly, yes — everything around it got dearer too. Even at A$769.95, the Switch 2 sits about $20 above a PS5 Digital Edition and $60 below a disc PS5 locally, while in the US the $499.99 Switch 2 remains the cheapest current-generation home console going. And it's massively cheaper than the Steam Deck OLED, which now starts at US$789 — we've mapped out that whole messy landscape in our 2026 handheld buying guide if you're weighing them up.

The value case also got a software boost. June's Nintendo Direct stacked the back half of 2026 with heavy hitters — a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, Kingdom Hearts IV and Xenoblade Genesis headline the list — which is Nintendo's not-so-subtle way of saying "the games will make the price sting less."

Should you buy before 1 September?

The honest answer depends on which of these you are:

• You were going to buy one this year anyway: yes, buy before the deadline — ideally as a game bundle. You save $70 outright and bank a game on top. There is no scenario where waiting past 1 September gets you a better deal on new stock.

• You're on the fence: the deadline is a nudge, not a command. But be clear-eyed that the price isn't coming back down, and history says supply can tighten before deadlines as everyone else has the same idea — Japan saw exactly that rush before its May rise.

• You're not fussed about Nintendo games: then don't let a deadline talk you into a console you didn't want. A discounted PS5 or a prebuilt PC deal might suit you better — no shame in it.

Where the deals are right now (Australia)

Aussie retailers are actively discounting below RRP ahead of the deadline, which makes the maths even better. At the time of writing, Amazon AU has had the Switch 2 + Pokémon Pokopia bundle around A$661, and Big W has run sharp console pricing too — both comfortably under the A$699.95 RRP, let alone the incoming A$769.95. JB Hi-Fi and EB Games are worth checking the same week you buy, because these offers rotate. The play: grab a bundle on discount before winter's out, and you've beaten the rise by well over $100 in real value.

What about buying second-hand or waiting for Black Friday?

Two reasonable-sounding alternatives, two honest caveats. Used Switch 2 prices tend to track new prices — when new stock jumps $70, second-hand sellers lift their asks too, so the used market won't shelter you for long. As for Black Friday: retailers can still discount below RRP after 1 September, but they'll be discounting from a base that's $70 higher, and with component costs still climbing, deep console discounts are rarer than they used to be. A November deal matching today's everyday price would be a good outcome, not a likely one.

The bigger picture: consoles don't get cheaper anymore

The old rhythm of console generations — launch dear, get cheaper every year, finish with a budget model — has broken. The Switch 2 is now the fourth major platform to get dearer with age in this cycle, and with memory supply expected to stay tight into 2027, nobody in the industry is promising it's the last rise. It's a rubbish trend for buyers, but it does simplify one decision: if a console is on your list and the money's there, buying earlier now beats buying later almost every time.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Switch 2 price increase happen?

1 September 2026 in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Europe (plus Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea). Japan's rise already took effect on 25 May 2026. Anything bought before the date is at the old price.

How much will the Switch 2 cost in Australia after the rise?

A$769.95, up from A$699.95 — a $70 (about 10%) increase. Retailers honour the current price through 31 August.

Why is Nintendo raising the Switch 2's price?

Mainly the global memory shortage driven by AI data centre demand, plus tariffs and exchange-rate pressure. Nintendo says the extra costs total roughly ¥100 billion and that even the new price won't fully cover them.

Is the Switch 2 price increase permanent?

Effectively yes. Nintendo describes the cost pressures as "medium to long term," and no company in this cycle has reversed a rise. Don't plan around the old price returning.

Should I buy a Switch 2 now or wait for a sale?

If you want one, buy before 1 September — ideally a game bundle, which is effectively about $150 of value versus buying a bare console after the rise. Post-deadline sales will discount from the higher base, so matching today's price later is unlikely.

Is the original Switch getting a price rise too?

Not in Australia or the US — those increases only apply in Japan. The original Switch keeps its current local pricing, and remains the budget option for Nintendo exclusives.