New Switch Price Increase Says a Lot About Nintendo’s Upcoming Games

Nintendo made a surprising announcement today that it plans to adjust the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch accessories pricing, and while Nintendo was cagey about what this meant, a leak confirmed it would be a price increase. This does not bode well for those who have the original Nintendo Switch and likely points to fewer games coming to Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED consoles as Nintendo focuses on the Nintendo Switch 2.

With Nintendo increasing the price of the Nintendo Switch consoles, fans should expect less support. New accessories have stopped releasing for some time now, but games have been either released for the Nintendo Switch or for both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. This likely marks the end of new games coming to the first Nintendo Switch, and fans may want to start considering an upgrade.

Will Nintendo Release More Nintendo Switch Games?

Some Nintendo games are currently expected for both Switch and Switch 2 later this year. This includes Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4, which have already been announced. However, after these, it is very possible that Nintendo will not support the Nintendo Switch with new game releases.

We’ve already seen several Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza opted to launch only on the Nintendo Switch 2, and both Kirby Air Riders and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment are skipping Nintendo’s previous generation. Fans should expect this to be the norm going forward. It is possible some smaller games will still release to both, but for Nintendo to increase the cost of the Switch 1 but not Switch 2, it shows that the company is clearly trying to push consumers to its new console.

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That said, other publishers are still supporting the Nintendo Switch. Square Enix revealed that Octopath Traveler 0 is planned to come to both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase showed off several games that would launch on both platforms, meaning there is still some life left in the Nintendo Switch library.

At the same time, however, other publishers are jumping ship and supporting just the Nintendo Switch 2. Even Square Enix is following this, as its newest IP, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tale, is launching exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. It even dropped a demo that’s only on Switch 2 right now.

The writing is on the wall for the Nintendo Switch. While there is still some support and new games are coming, players can likely expect this catalog to dwindle in 2025 and likely disappear entirely in 2026. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the future for Nintendo, and it is certainly encouraging its fan base to get in line if these price increases are anything to go by.