With the PlayStation 5’s worth enhance going into impact at the moment, a number of us are involved in regards to the rising value of video video games typically. Xbox has already elevated its Sequence X and S costs, however the Swap 2 has remained static since its launch final 12 months.
However, in an interview on the Package & Krysta podcast (under), a former Nintendo gross sales lead merely known as Sean believes that “sadly” Nintendo will finally have to extend the worth of the console.
Speculating on the potential of a worth enhance (from round 29:47), Sean believes that “there’s issues that they will and appear to be doing to attempt to mitigate that, however I additionally take a look at this transfer on on software program as, if I’m studying it accurately, a technique to make a {hardware} worth enhance a bit bit extra palatable.”
A mix of inflation, tariffs, and up to date reminiscence worth hikes on account of AI demand are all components, however the current points with oil costs are additionally a possible a part of the issue, which Sean addresses.
“When oil goes by the roof, that is not simply delivery prices that go up… there’s different issues that individuals might not realise. Helium is a by-product of manufacturing oil. Helium is a key and unreplaceable ingredient in making semiconductors, which suggests {hardware} costs go up.”
It additionally impacts cartridge manufacturing, too: “It’s an unreplaceable by-product of constructing silicon wafers, which suggests when you’re Nintendo and also you’re producing cartridges, that’s going up as effectively.”
All of those ongoing components and occasions are affecting one another, and Sean thinks that despite the fact that Nintendo “are capable of make concessions in some areas, {hardware} costs are going to go up I believe, finally.”
The value lower in digital software program could also be a technique Nintendo is attempting to offset the price, Sean suspects, referring to the lately introduced pricing change of Swap 2 unique video games in North America and Canada, however that is solely a short lived repair, as there does not look like an finish to most of the points hitting the trade proper now.
“We’ve been by varied phases with Nintendo by varied financial turns and issues,” Sean acknowledges, “nevertheless it does actually really feel like this time particularly, there’s simply so many outdoors forces which might be sort of forcing their hand in a manner that they in all probability aren’t actually used to prior to now.”
Nintendo has been comparatively coy about pricing the Swap 2 and potential worth modifications. In fact, a number of equipment, together with the Swap 1, obtained a worth enhance in August 2025 within the US,
Since then, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has tried to remain cautious on worth will increase, saying Nintendo would “rigorously take into account” a rise, which is able to rely upon issues akin to gross sales traits, prices, the market atmosphere, and “different components.”
What do you consider Sean’s feedback within the podcast? Tell us down under.
[source youtube.com]
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