Switch 2 boosts Nintendo's sales, US price of Switch 1 rises
The Switch 2 brings Nintendo a 132 percent increase in sales. Buyers of the predecessor console will have to dig deeper into their pockets in the USA in future.
(Image: Evgeniy pavlovski/Shutterstock.com)
Following the successful launch of Nintendo's Switch 2 games console, business is going much better for the manufacturer than in the previous year. According to the annual report, sales in the second quarter of 2025 rose by 132 percent year-on-year to 572 billion yen (around 3.35 billion euros). Net profit was also higher, up 19 percent compared to the previous year.
Nintendo sold 3.5 million Switch 2 consoles in the first four days after its market launch. According to Nintendo, this was the most successful console launch in the company's history, as the company has now reaffirmed in its annual report.
Switch 1: US customers have to pay more
But not all fans are benefiting from the success. This is particularly true for US customers who want to buy the cheaper predecessor model. Nintendo increased the price of the Switch 1 in the USA on August 3. The increase is limited to the USA, other markets such as Germany are not affected.
Nintendo's US store already shows what interested parties will have to pay for the remaining Switch 1 variants and their accessories from today. The "original Switch" now costs 340 dollars there (previously: 300 dollars). The OLED model has risen from 350 to 400 dollars and the compact Switch Lite from 200 to 230 dollars. According to the announcement, the price of some accessories has also been increased slightly.
Further "price adjustments" possible
The announcement merely cites "market conditions" as the reason for the increase. They could, of course, be related to increased customs duties. For the time being, the prices for the Nintendo Switch 2, its games or the "Nintendo Online" membership are not affected. However, this could change in the future: "Please note that price adjustments may be necessary in the future," the announcement states.
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Perhaps Nintendo does not want to jeopardize the success of its new console and instead wants to make savings in other areas of the product range, according to The Verge: The company could instead factor in the upcoming 20 percent tariff on imports from Vietnam as a necessary evil, estimates TheVerge editor Andrew Webster. Vietnam is an important production location for Nintendo and the Switch 2.
(jpw)
