Niko Partners, a research firm that provides global data analysis and insights into the video game industry in five regions, namely China, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), has published its 2026 predictions report, with 10 trends for consumers to be aware of, and it's not good news for anyone who has held off on buying a Nintendo Switch 2.
Namely because Niko believes that the best time to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 is: right now, before Nintendo issues a "global price hike" for the new hybrid device. According to the research firm, at some point in 2026, the added weight of "tariffs, increased memory costs, and broader macroeconomic conditions" will drive a global price hike for the console, with Nintendo following in Sony and Microsoft's footsteps after both companies increased the prices of their consoles post-launch.
Niko's prediction doesn't include an exact price consumers should expect, but it does add that the Mario company "may opt to discontinue the $449 SKU and only sell a $499 or higher bundle SKU instead," which would mean we'd see at least a $50 price increase.
It should be noted that the latest word from Nintendo on a potential Switch 2 price increase came from a recent interview with Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, who simply said that the company "must monitor the situation closely." Before that, back in November 2025, Furukawa told shareholders that the company expects the price of the Switch 2 to remain where it is, "unless there are significant changes in external factors, such as a shift in tariff assumptions, or other unexpected events."
Ever since the Nintendo Switch 2 was unveiled on the same day the current US government announced its new tariffs back in April 2025, concerns of a Switch 2 price increase have been sky-high. It didn't help that Nintendo had to pause pre-orders and follow the flow of news regarding where the tariff negotiations were going before it could lock in a price. Or that when pre-orders were finally back on, the price of Switch 2 accessories had already increased compared to what they were initially meant to be.
Even though the price of the Switch 2 has remained the same, we've had multiple warnings that the price could go up, with tariffs being cited as a potential cause more than once. Now, adding in the memory shortage situation (even if consumers reportedly have the narrative around the shortages wrong), the fact remains that a price hike for the Nintendo Switch 2 feels more like a question of 'when' rather than 'if'.
With all that said, this report doesn't factor in the recent rumours of a Switch 2 Lite model potentially arriving soon, which could offer a happy medium for people who want to grab a Switch 2 but don't want to pay its current $449 price. So long as Nintendo doesn't increase the price of the Switch 2 to $499 and release a Switch 2 Lite at $449.
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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