If you've been thinking about buying a Nintendo Switch 2 for the last few months, wondering whether to finally buy that console in the basket now or wait for a better deal, Nintendo has just given you a good reason not to hang around.
From 1 September, the Switch 2 is getting $50 more expensive in the US, climbing from $449.99 to $499.99 for the 256GB console without a game, and £24 more expensive in the UK. That's a painful price rise for a Switch 2 that’s just over a year old, and with the price change now less than a week away, buying now will genuinely save you money.
The timing is interesting because Nintendo has also announced new Switch 2 bundles arriving this autumn, including packages with games that may soften the blow slightly, but you'll still be paying the higher hardware price. In other words, waiting for those bundles isn't necessarily the bargain you might expect; for example, the standout Nintendo Switch Sports Resort bundle will still be $529.99, a post-price-hike saving of $27.98 but still $22.02 more than where we are now, and in fact an actual $80 saving – phew!
If you're reading this in the UK, there's a price rise here too, although thankfully it's not quite as brutal. Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 will increase from £395.99 to £419.99 on 1 September, a £24 jump. That’s still a price increase that could go toward a new game or Nintendo Online.
What should you pay right now?
The official UK price is £395.99, but you don't necessarily need to pay that as Amazon is selling Switch 2 for £378.85, while some retailers are still sitting at the full £395.99 price, which means there's a proper deal here rather than simply buying ahead of a price rise. At roughly £380, Switch 2 today would effectively be £40 cheaper than the new £419.99 UK price from 1 September.
Those kinds of prices aren't guaranteed to return next week, though. If you find a Switch 2 around the £360-£380 mark before 1 September, I'd consider that a much more interesting proposition than waiting for Black Friday and hoping Nintendo's retailers discount the console enough to cancel out the new RRP.
So while you could wait, and there will be Switch 2 deals after 1 September, usually around Black Friday, they’ll likely be bundles that don’t really push the price down but offset a cost rise by offering an old game to sweeten the deal – the hardware price won’t escape the $50/£24 price rise that’s coming in just a few days.
It’s simple right now: if you've already decided you want a Switch 2, buying one before 1 September means you won't be starting from a $499.99/ £419.99 price tag, and if you can find one below £380 in the UK right now, even better.
Best Nintendo Switch 2 deals ahead of $50 price rise
