Hi. It’s that time again – Nintendo Switch 2 in the headline, and some analysts have said a thing. You’ll want to listen too, because it’s an estimate of the price you could be paying for the console, not that these experts seem to reckon how much it costs will have much effect on Nintendo’s ability to shift “boatloads” of units early on.
This news comes as we’re inching towards that special Switch Direct that’s coming up in less than a month, so we’re nearly into peak release hype – though we still don’t know exactly when that’ll be.
For now, Bloomberg has chatted to some analysts to get their view on how the Switch 2’s launch might go. In one word? Well. In two words? Very well.
How much will it cost, though? $400 or more – that’s about £307 or more – looks to be the consensus from the group of analysts chatted to, but there’s a bit of variation in their responses. Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda said he “wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo goes ahead with $499” due to chip prices, while his fellow boffins are less sure it’ll be that high, but all anticipate an increase of $100 or more over the original Switch’s price point – $299.
Will that price increase affect how well the launch goes in terms of those oh so important numbers and lines on financial graphs? These analysts don’t seem to think so, with Robin Zhu of Sanford C. Bernstein expecting the Switch 2 to come out in June, with 6 million to 8 million units on offer from day one, which could equate to “the biggest console launch ever” if early sales go as planned.
“They will sell boatloads of Switch 2 in the first months in particular, almost regardless of the price,” Japanese consulting firm Kantan Games’ CEO Dr Serkan Toto put it, adding: “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.”
He’s also added in a tweet that he reckons the Tears of the Kingdom pricing trend of $70 will continue, at least when it comes to “Nintendo’s own games and major 3rd-party games”.
Nice. Get the armada ready Nintendo, and try to avoid running into any bloodthirsty Italian plumber-loving pirates on the high seas. Will you be happy to pay a price like those outlined above for the Switch 2? Has your plan to pay via millions of eShop gold points recently gone up in flames? Let us know below!