Nintendo Switch’s $50 Price Hike: 8-YEAR-OLD console price RAISED again

In the year 2025, Nintendo has done something we never could have imagined. The Nintendo Switch’s price has gone up. Yes, UP. That’s the original Nintendo Switch. Not the brand new Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch originally came out in 2017, a full eight years ago, and every version of the console is getting a price spike.

Nintendo Switch price raised across every edition

The original Switch comes in three different forms: the base model, the Lite, and the OLED. Here’s how their prices have changed:

• Nintendo Switch base model: $40 increase (now $339.99)

• Nintendo Switch Lite: $30 increase (now $229.99)

• Nintendo Switch OLED: $50 increase (now $399.99)

That’s a lot of money to be spending on portable gaming… and you aren’t even making money playing games on the Switch.

With Freecash, you’ll be able to earn that extra $50 quickly and easily, but is it worth it for a console that’s clearly at the end of its lifespan?

Switch changed price due to tariffs

Nintendo has blamed “market conditions” for the price hike, which many are assuming refers to the tariffs placed on foreign goods by the US.

Fans are BAFFLED by this change, though. One Reddit commenter said “Wtffffff an 8 years old device increasing price wtf”, perfectly summing up sentiment amongst fans. If tariffs are to blame, it sounds like this is an example of the US public being the worst hit, rather than foreign manufacturers.

Some suggest it’s part of a sneaky play to encourage people to upgrade their consoles, too.

The second hand market for Switch 1s will skyrocket with this price change, and if you find a good deal on a Switch 2, it’ll only cost about $50 more than a Switch OLED. That’d be worth flogging your old Switch and getting a brand new model, right?