Across the board, the tech industry is currently still rattled by issues surrounding memory chip shortages. Companies like Samsung are making major shifts in their production lines, and other companies like Framework have opted to directly tell consumers that prices will rise due to shortages. Now, a new report from Bloomberg points to Nintendo losing $14 billion in share value as fears around memory shortages continue to rise.
Nintendo's shares have declined on almost every trading day in December so far, dropping to their lowest level since May 2025. According to the report (via TrendForce), Nintendo now has to spend 41% more on the 12GB RAM chips it uses to make Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. NAND storage prices also rose by 8%, and with the drop in share value, the question quickly turns to 'when,' not 'if,' Nintendo will raise prices on the Nintendo Switch 2.
And of course, it's not just the rising price of the console that's a concern. Pelham Smithers of Pelham Smithers Associates told Bloomberg that Nintendo has already passed on the rising costs of memory chips to consumers through the cost of express microSD cards. "The rise of NAND prices is starting to really impact express SD card prices. A 256GB express SD card costs $89.99 on Amazon. This is effectively a cost that Nintendo has passed on to the gamer," said Smithers.
Of course, you don't need to buy an express microSD card for your Switch 2; you can try to make do with the console's built-in storage, but with the increasing number of developers turning to Game Key Card versions of their games for Switch 2 and the current landscape of digital games increasing in the amount of storage they consume, even the Switch 2's increased amount of internal storage compared to the original Switch doesn't go as far as it could for most players.
It's also worth noting that MicroSD Express Cards are simply getting more difficult to find as these shortages continue, so while Smithers isn't wrong in pointing to the increase in their price as a total increase to the cost of buying a Switch 2, it may not factor in for some buyers simply because they can't find a MicroSD Express card to overpay on.
Smithers also claims that the recent Black Friday sales for Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundles were one of the seasonal sales "surprises," claiming, "You wouldn't expect it [Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle] to be discounted this close to the holiday season."
Sure, the Switch 2 was one of the best-selling consoles this Black Friday (even though, at least in the EU, PS5 still claimed the top spot), but there's concern it can keep up with its popularity, Black Friday discount or not, with its current stock and how much more expensive every single Switch 2 unit is to manufacture now.
Even with Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa doing his best to reassure shareholders and consumers that the cost of the console will "remain stable" for the immediate future, last month, that could quickly change in the new year, after the holiday season winds down.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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