Did I Read That Right? Nintendo Is Making the Original Switch More Expensive.

In a move that makes you check the calendar, an 8-year-old console is getting a price hike. Here's what's going on.

I had to read the headline twice this morning. I scrolled past it, stopped, and scrolled back up just to make sure.

Yep, I saw it correctly. Nintendo is raising the price of the original Nintendo Switch.

Not a new “Switch Pro” or the long-rumored “Switch 2.” I’m talking about the classic, launch-day model. The one that’s been sitting under my TV since 2017. In a world where tech is supposed to get cheaper over time, Nintendo just decided to do the opposite.

It feels… weird.

Wait, an 8-Year-Old Console?

Exactly. By the time this price change happens in 2025, the Switch will be celebrating its eighth birthday.

Think about that for a second. Imagine Apple suddenly announcing they’re raising the price of the iPhone 8. Or Sony jacking up the cost of a PlayStation 4. You’d think they were joking.

Tech gets old, and then it gets cheap. That’s the rule. But Nintendo has always played by its own rules, and this might be the strangest example yet.

So, What's Really Going On?

The official report from TechCrunch mentions “market conditions.” That’s a pretty vague corporate phrase that could mean anything. But I have a couple of theories.

• Theory 1: The boring reason. It could genuinely be about supply chains. Maybe the specific parts needed for the original model are getting harder to find and more expensive to source. Inflation is real, and it’s hitting everyone. Simple as that.
• Theory 2: The strategic reason. This is the one I find more interesting. What if this is Nintendo’s way of clearing the runway for the next console? By making the old Switch more expensive, a brand new, more powerful “Switch 2” suddenly looks like a much better deal. It’s a classic sales move: make the old thing less attractive so the new thing seems like a no-brainer.

I’m leaning toward a mix of both. But the second one feels very Nintendo.

What This Means for You

Honestly, it just shows how much staying power the Switch has. It’s become an evergreen console. It’s not just a piece of tech anymore; it’s a portal to Mario Kart, Zelda, and Animal Crossing. My launch-day Switch still works perfectly fine, and I still grab it for a quick game.

If you don't have a Switch yet and were thinking of getting one, now might be the time. The price hike isn’t huge, but why pay more if you don’t have to?

It’s a wild move from a company known for them. We complain about Nintendo’s weird online service and their refusal to follow industry trends, but you have to admit—they keep things interesting.

It’s a strange time in tech when an 8-year-old console is so popular that its price actually goes up.

What do you think? Is this a bold strategy or just a weird blip?