The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal is just a few weeks away, and a lot of questions about the new portable console will hopefully be answered.
One of the big questions that Nintendo will need to answer is the price. The Switch 2 is expected to stay at the same price as the original. That, however, might not be the case, and it's not due to Nintendo being greedy.
When the Switch launched back in 2017, it retailed in the U.S. for $299. The Switch 2 will reportedly cost $400 or more, according to market analysts in a Bloomberg report.
A likely reason for a higher price is the increase in price for the components. The screen of the Switch 2 is going to be larger than the original, which will add to the price. There's also the processors powering the portable console. One analyst says the successor's chips could cost twice as much as the original.
“The original Switch’s Nvidia chip is estimated to cost $80 per unit, while the Switch 2’s chip is likely to be in the $130-$150 range,” Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda told Bloomberg.
There's also speculation about whether President Donald Trump's tariffs will play a role in the pricing of the Switch 2. The Consumer Technology Association released a report back in January that said tariffs could increase the price of video game consoles by 58%.
The analysts also believe the Switch 2 will have a release date sometime in June.
Nintendo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the Switch 2's price.
The gaming world has Switched since launch of the Switch.
Back in 2017, Nintendo's decision to make its console portable was a bold move, which the company is known for. At the time, Nintendo was dealing with the terribly selling Wii U, which had the innovative Gamepad that allowed for playing some games on the tablet controller. The company also had its 3DS handheld that had completely dominated the marketplace. Nintendo took both ideas and came out with the Switch and began the new era of portable consoles.
It was years later when the Steam Deck came out, and showed that PC gaming can be truly portable. This led to a rush of other hardware companies making their own portable such as the ROG Ally, Lenovo Go, and MSI Claw.
The Switch continues to outsell other portable gaming devices because of its lower price and because it remains the only console that supports Nintendo’s exclusive games.
What we know about the Switch 2.
So far, there isn't much known about the Switch 2. Nintendo did give a teaser for the console in January and showed a few of the changes in the new console.
Most notably, the Switch 2 will have an 8-inch LCD display. There will be an improvement on the graphics, although how much of an improvement is unknown. Third-party developers are reportedly preparing to bring their AAA games over to the Switch 2 as the original Switch didn't have the power to run these games.
The Joy-Cons will connect to the console with magnets instead of rails, and it appears that each Joy-Con will work similarly to a mouse.
A major feature confirmed by Nintendo that Switch fans were happy about is that the Switch 2 will be backward compatible. Some games will be incompatible due to reliance on accessories like Ring Fit Adventure and Labo Toy-Con.
