After reviewing Nintendo’s official English translation of Q3 Q&A, I’m convinced the carefully crafted languages indicate that a Switch 2 price hike in 2026 is exceedingly unlikely.
Sure, Furukawa mentioned memory’s impact on profitability multiple times, but that’s to prepare investors for a predictably depressed profit forecast for next fiscal year that he “will explain during the next financial announcement”.
However, regarding price change, Furukawa gave a pretty clear signal that “it is not an appropriate approach to be excessively influenced by short-term trends”. Nintendo will “[take] into consideration not only profitability, but also other factors like the platform’s installed base, sales trends, and the market environment.”
The key phrase here is “installed base”. The management is playing a long game, because “[the] second and third years for Nintendo Switch 2 are very important, and if we can expand the hardware installed base, we can use that as a basis to greatly expand software sales.”
But can they realistically hold the line in spite of the macro environment? Fear not, Furukawa said, “due to our inventory on hand, together with hardware currently in production, we do not anticipate an immediate impact in the next fiscal year.” To accentuate the point, he reiterated: “we do not anticipate constraints in our production plans due to insufficient supply in the next fiscal year and beyond.”
Furukawa’s confidence is buttressed by an incredibly strong balance sheet, particularly the stockpiles of raw materials and cash (see charts below). Barring something drastic, such as Liberation Day 2, the Switch 2 price should be set for at least another year.
[Originally posted on 2026-02-09 Pacific Time]
