Switch 2 Sales Plunge 87% in Japan After Price Hike

A significant decline in sales of the Nintendo Switch 2 was observed in Japan last week, following the console’s price hike that took effect on May 25.

Nintendo unveiled plans for a price increase of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles across the United States, Europe, Canada, and Japan back in April. While the price adjustment is set to roll out in the US, Europe, and Canada starting September 1, it was immediately implemented in Japan.

The Japanese market witnessed an increase in the price of the region-locked Switch 2, exclusive to Japan except for Nintendo’s online store. The console’s cost surged from ¥49,980 ($312) to ¥59,980 ($374) on May 25.

The latest Famitsu sales data reveals a sharp downturn in Switch 2 hardware sales, underscoring the market’s sensitivity to pricing and consumer expectations.

Over the preceding three weeks, the console shipped 214,438 units, followed by 217,922 units, and then 247,880 units, according to Famitsu’s weekly charts.

However, the most recent week—May 25 to May 31—took a dramatic hit, with only 31,751 units sold, marking an 87% plunge from the prior period.

It is worth noting that the Switch 2 had previously experienced a sales surge in Japan following Nintendo’s announcement of a price increase, illustrating the volatile nature of consumer response to pricing changes.

In the three weeks leading up to Nintendo’s announcement, the Switch 2 experienced a steady climb in sales, moving 52,058 units, followed by 44,280 and then 45,825 in Japan. This uptick suggests that a surge in demand was driven by consumers snapping up the new console before its price hike. Yet, the most recent week saw a dip to 31,751 units—still below pre‑announcement figures.

The price surge has also taken a heavy toll on the original Switch’s performance. Over the preceding six weeks, it managed 3,462, 4,513, 5,080, 7,960, 5,285 and 2,731 units respectively, but last week’s tally plummeted to a mere 229 units, falling well behind the Xbox Series X.

The complete hardware sales chart for Japan last week, including lifetime totals, is as follows: