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Nintendo hikes Switch 2 price to $499 amid AI-driven RAM shortage

5/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Nintendo set the Switch 2 price at $499 in the U.S., $679 in Canada, and €499 in Europe effective September 1, 2026.
The increase stems from a global RAM shortage tied to AI demand and higher logistics costs from the Iran war.
Nintendo logged 19.86 million Switch 2 sales, a 424 billion-yen profit, forecast a 16.9% unit decline to 16.5 million in FY 2027, and saw its share price rise about 3.5% after the announcement.

History

Historical Context

Sony’s 1995 launch of the PlayStation sparked the fifth-generation console battle with Sega’s Saturn and Nintendo’s N64, driving volatile pricing and modest early sales. By 1996 the three systems captured about 40 % of hardware revenue, and the PlayStation eventually shipped 102 million units. That legacy of supply-driven price swings resurfaces today as Nintendo’s Switch 2 faces AI-linked RAM shortages and logistics constraints.

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Story summary

Nintendo set the Switch 2 price at $499 in the U.S., $679 in Canada, and €499 in Europe effective September 1, 2026.
The increase stems from a global RAM shortage tied to AI demand and higher logistics costs from the Iran war.
Nintendo logged 19.86 million Switch 2 sales, a 424 billion-yen profit, forecast a 16.9% unit decline to 16.5 million in FY 2027, and saw its share price rise about 3.5% after the announcement.

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