Switch 2 after the price hike: buy now or wait?

"Should I buy a Switch 2 before the price increase?" is still one of the most-searched Switch 2 questions this month, and most of the pages answering it were written before the increase happened. So let's reset. The price has already gone up. The useful question now is whether to buy at $499.99, wait for Prime Big Deal Days on 6–7 October or Black Friday, or buy a bundle instead. I checked the prices this morning.

What Nintendo actually changed

From Nintendo's own price-revision notice, posted 7 May 2026: "Beginning on September 1, 2026, Nintendo of America will revise the MSRP of the Nintendo Switch 2 system in the U.S. from $449.99 to $499.99. This is in response to various changes in market conditions, which are expected to extend over the medium to long term." The same notice says original Nintendo Switch pricing is not changing. It's the same memory-cost squeeze behind this year's RAM prices, and we reported on the increase when it was announced.

What it costs today (25 Sep 2026)

Nintendo prices are from its US store. Amazon was checked with a US delivery address, and the prices shown are sold by Amazon.com. A reseller also listed a Mario Kart World bundle at $619.00, which is the one to avoid. Walmart's search results mixed Walmart and marketplace sellers, so check the "sold by" line there. I couldn't get a readable listing from Target. The Amazon "Choose Your Game" price has odd cents ($503.11), which usually means it's moving. Check it at checkout rather than trusting my number.

Buy now, or wait for Prime Day or Black Friday?

• Don't wait for the $449.99 price to come back. Nintendo's own notice describes the reasons as medium-to-long term. A console-only price at or under $449.99 would be a genuine deal, but nothing I can source suggests it's coming.
• Do look at bundles instead of the console alone. A bundle is how you get value now. At Nintendo's prices the Mario Kart World bundle saves $29.99 against buying separately. The full per-bundle maths is in Switch 2 bundle vs console only.
• Prime Big Deal Days (6–7 Oct): look for a bundle priced below $499.99 plus the included game's own price. That's the only test that matters. If nothing moves, the $503.11 Amazon bundle (if it's still there) already passes it easily.
• If you want a Switch 2 for Christmas anyway: buying a bundle now at a fair price beats hoping for Black Friday stock.

Also weighing a handheld PC? Valve raised the Steam Deck OLED to $789 in May, and I compared the two in Steam Deck OLED vs Switch 2 on price. Buying for GTA 6 instead? That's a different console question: which console for GTA 6.