We know that a Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out - the questions are, when will it be released, what hardware will it have, and how much will it cost? We've seen leaks and rumors in the past covering the Nintendo Switch 2, but we've only just caught wind of a potential price. And if the rumor is true, it seems that Switch fans are going to need to stomach a pretty big leap in price.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a rumored price point of $499.99

As reported by Notebook Check, this rumor came to us by Hideki Yasuda, a Japanese analyst. Yasuda has some unfortunate news for people hoping that the Nintendo Switch 2 will come in at a cheaper price point than the average for handheld gaming consoles:

While reporting on the recent Nintendo financial results, Yasuda cites sources suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch early in 2025 with an MSRP of “$499 or less.”

If this is true, it puts the Nintendo Switch 2 at a $150 price increase over the Switch OLED model. More importantly, this increase would put the Switch 2 into a similar price bracket as other gaming handhelds, like some of the Steam Deck alternatives that have entered the market. The portable gaming scene is a lot different than what it looked like when the Nintendo Switch first made its mark on the gaming world, after all.

Still, Nintendo likely has nothing to worry about. While people will compare the Switch 2's hardware to other handhelds in its price bracket, people don't purchase Nintendo consoles for the graphical output as they do the exclusive games. And given how Nintendo Switch games will work perfectly fine on the Switch 2, people can upgrade without sacrificing their current backlog. Still, it will be interesting to see how the higher price and the deluge of handhelds on the market will affect it, if at all.