Nintendo has announced an imminent “pricing update” for the original Switch in Canada, leaving fans north of the border expecting the aging console to increase in price — more than eight years after it launched.
An advisory warning issued by Nintendo of Canada states that the changes will be fully detailed later today, July 1, as prices are publicly adjusted on the official Nintendo Canada online store.
Explaining the changes, Nintendo’s note simply states the move is “based on market conditions,” without going into further detail.
Nintendo has said that the newly-launched Switch 2 will not be impacted by the impending price adjustment, though all models of the original Switch (the OG Switch, Switch Lite and Switch OLED) will be impacted.
Physical and digital Switch games and accessories will also see price changes, Nintendo continued — something which of course will impact Switch 2 owners, as most games and many peripherals are cross-compatible.
The sweeping changes will also hit Nintendo Switch Online memberships, the company stated, as well as amiibo figurines. If you’re in Canada and need to top-up your online subscription before prices change, now might be a good time.
Canada, like many other countries, has been caught up in the ongoing financial uncertainty provoked by the introduction of US tariffs. Prior to the Switch 2 launch, Nintendo paused the rollout of pre-orders in the US and Canada as it gauged the potential impact of tariffs, before announcing price rises on some Switch 2 peripherals.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa previously suggested the impact of tariffs could impact the company’s profits by “tens of billions of yen,” though cautioned that increasing the Switch 2’s price to compensate would likely “decrease demand.”
Fans have suggested that these price rises, aimed at the original Switch, and on Nintendo Online Memberships, are likely Nintendo’s workaround — without attracting the headlines of raising the Switch 2’s price so soon after launch.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
