3 min readNintendo's new gaming handheld is closer than ever. Back in January 2025, the world got its first glimpse of the Nintendo Switch 2. Now that we know what the company's next portable gaming machine looks like, the question on everyone's minds is the obvious one.
Just how much will it cost? What will the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 be in Australia?
At the time of writing, Nintendo has yet to set out any official guidance when it comes to the pricing for the Nintendo Switch 2. We'll be sure to update this page when that changes.
However, in the meantime, that doesn't mean we can't speculate on a few potential scenarios that might be on the cards when it comes to the cost of Nintendo's next handheld. Here are a few potential situations that Aussies might face when the Switch 2 finally does land in your local JB Hi-Fi.
Nintendo could always surprise us and come in at a cheaper price than the original Switch, but I wouldn't hold my breath. As crowdpleasing as it would be, this one is unlikely for a few different reasons.
The main argument for it is that tech tends to come down in cost over time and although the central selling point of the Switch 2 is that it's a better gaming handheld with better parts and a few new tricks, the bar for the first half of that equation is relatively low.
The original Switch might be running on a custom version of Nvidia's Tegra X1 chip, but the foundations of that silicon stack are almost a decade old at this point. For that reason, the idea that Nintendo could offer better performance at a cheaper price-point isn't necessarily beyond the pale.
That said, it's definitely the most unlikely scenario. In 2025, everything seems to be getting more expensive and it's probably a stretch to assume that the new Switch will be an exception to this. Even if it's not a certainty, Nintendo's successor to the Switch is almost definitely going to be just as (if not more) expensive than the handheld that came before it.
The next scenario is a little more likely than the last one we considered. A major part of the popularity of the Nintendo Switch is due to its affordability.
For context, the original Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite and the Switch OLED launched at the following price-points in Australia:
Even if it can't play as many games as the Steam Deck or match the performance of Valve's gaming handheld, the fact that it is significantly cheaper counts for a lot. If Nintendo can hold onto that existing price-point, the Switch 2 will be set up to hold on to that advantage for another generation.
Going more expensive means setting up the Switch 2 for more comparisons with gaming handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally X. These aren't necessarily fights that the Switch 2 would lose but they probably aren't the kinds of conversations that Nintendo wants to be having either.
It's also worth remembering that (as per reporting by Bloomberg) the Switch 2 is seemingly not going to be kitted out with an OLED screen but a traditional LCD one instead. That could suggest that Nintendo could be looking to offer a more premium OLED model will be available later down the line as they did with the original Switch. If that's the case, then launching the Switch 2 at a price-point that's close to that of its predecessor becomes a little bit more likely.
While there's no doubt someone at Nintendo who hopes that the handheld will reach new audiences, the bulk of Switch 2 sales at launch are going to be consumers who already own a Switch and want to upgrade to a better one. If that upgrade costs the same $469 as the original Switch did, that's a no-brainer.
Launching the Switch 2 at the same price as its predecessor isn't necessarily the likeliest outcome but it's not impossible either.
Unfortunately, this third option is looking the most likely at this stage.
The global economy has shifted in some pretty big ways since the first Switch launched back in 2017 and inflation rarely makes an exception for your favorite hobbies.
Although the Switch's affordability is a big part of the selling point, the fact that it does come with nicer specs likely means that it'll come in at a higher price because that is the norm for most tech products nowadays. That said, there's a lot of wiggle room between the $429 that the original Switch commanded and the $649 that you're looking at for the cheapest version of the Steam Deck.
It doesn't feel impossible that the Switch 2 could launch in Australia for as little as $499 but in our opinion it feels just as much if not more likely that it'll sit just above the price of the Switch OLED at closer to $549 or potentially as high as $599.
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