Switch 2 to be most expensive Nintendo console and biggest launch ever-GameCentral-Entertainment – Metro

An almost guaranteed hit (Nintendo)

Fans have discovered there’s already stock of nearly 400,000 Nintendo Switch 2 in the US, as the console is predicted to involve a significant price rise.

For a long time now the best guess as to the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been $400, with several different analysts suggesting that price for the US. There’s been no specific indication of the UK price tag but that’s almost certain to translate to £400 or, at best, just a little less.

That’s considerably more than the current OLED model or the original Switch, with the former costing £309.99 at launch, and yet the latest report suggests that even though the price could be as high as $499 it’s still on course to be the biggest console launch in history.

Whether that proves to be correct or not, fans have discovered what seems to be clear proof that at least 383,000 units of the console have arrived in the US in the last five days, suggesting that Nintendo is indeed getting ready for a massive launch.

Officially, Nintendo has said nothing about the Switch 2’s price or release date, although somewhere around June is the most common prediction.

We’ll probably (but not definitely) get confirmation of both at the Nintendo Direct scheduled for April 2 but in the meantime a new Bloomberg report suggests investors are expecting ‘the biggest launch in game industry history.’

If they don’t get it then Nintendo’s share price could suffer but at the moment it’s at an all-time high, as expectation grows that the Switch 2 will be a massive hit.

There is uncertainty around President Trump’s constantly changing threats of tariffs though, which could directly affect the US price and have a knock-on effect elsewhere in the world.

Although the $400 price point is the most common prediction it is not the only one, with Macquarie Capital analyst Hiroshi Yamashina forecasting a cost between $399 and $449.

Meanwhile, Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda suggests that, due to the more advanced components in the console, it could cost up to $499.

Nevertheless, everyone seems to agree that Switch 2 will outdo the original Switch, which sold 2.7 million consoles in its first month, and the PlayStation 4 and 5, which sold 4.5 million in their first quarter.

‘They will sell boatloads of Switch 2 in the first months in particular, almost regardless of the price,’ says analyst Serkan Toto. ‘We can expect a great software lineup in year one, from new Mario Kart and 3D Mario after eight years to Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4. There will also be third party support from day one, most probably including blockbusters like Call of Duty.’

It’s unclear whether that list of games is a result of insider knowledge or just educated guesses but a new 3D Mario, while inevitable at some point in the Switch 2’s life, has not been hinted at yet by Nintendo.

One thing Nintendo has been happy to talk about is its plans to ensure plenty of stock at launch, in part to preventing scalpers from artificially raising the price even further.

According to some of the company’s most obsessed fans those plans are well in progress, with a post on the Famiboards forum suggesting that 383,000 retail units of the Switch 2 were shipped to the US in mid-January.

This isn’t the first time fans have tried to track shipping manifests to try and work out what Nintendo is doing, but while it is, in theory, a reliable method there’s certain to have been even more shipments in recent months.

Mario Kart is the only Switch 2 exclusive announced so far (YouTube)

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

Entertainment – MetroRead More