Nintendo Switch Prices Climb High In Japan Before Splatoon 2 Release

Splatoon 2 isn't far away from being released, and Japanese gamers are already feeling the effects of the upcoming game by way of some significant price increases on the Nintendo Switch in Japan.

In Japan, a brand new Nintendo Switch currently has a retail value of around 32,378 yen, a price that translates to about $286, but that figure doesn't account for one of the hottest games in Japan coming out soon. Within just a week of the game's release, the prices of the Nintendo Switch have now jumped to 46,980 yen, or $415, and that's on the easier side of the pricing.

The above prices come from Rakuten, a service that is the second largest retailer in Japan. Those prices are some of the lowest that gamers can find there, too, as other sites go even higher. If you check out Amazon Japan to try and find yourself a better deal, you might be disappointed to see that those prices are even higher at 48,000 yen ($424).

It wouldn't be unusual to see these types of prices running through less reputable sites or via personal sellers like you'd see on eBay, but with these prices coming from actual big-name retailers, you can expect that the prices are even higher when you leave the reliability of buying a Nintendo Switch from an outlet such as Rakuten or Amazon. These prices are just for the base model as well. If it's a fancy bundle that Japanese players are hoping for, the prices will likely get much higher.

The price of the Nintendo Switch has been increasing in Japan since April, but this latest cost hike is one of the bigger ones. Nintendo has apologized more than once previously for the low availability of the Nintendo Switch that makes the console so hard to come by, and they've said that they're increasing their production rate to hopefully accommodate all gamers who want in on Splatoon 2, Breath of the Wild, and other Switch games. Deals for the Switch have popped up occasionally when stock is available, and they tend to go quickly.

Splatoon 2 is scheduled to be released on July 21 for the Nintendo Switch.

[via Nintendo Soup]