Switch 2 to Cost More than PS5 in Japan After Price Hike

Nintendo will raise the Japan-only language-locked Switch 2 from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980 on May 25. The company cited ‘changes in market conditions,’ including rising memory prices driven by AI demand and broader economic effects linked to the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran. Sony increased PS5 prices in many regions last month but kept the Japan-only, language-locked PS5 at an MSRP of ¥55,000. After May 25, the list-price difference will be ¥4,980 when comparing standard retail MSRPs, excluding promotions and retailer discounts. Recent weekly sales figures for the period ending April 26 show the Switch 2 sold about 45,000 units in Japan while the PS5 sold about 13,000 units. Software sales that week were concentrated on Nintendo platforms. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream added about 178,000 units that week and has reached nearly 750,000 copies domestically since its mid-April release. Nintendo’s Pokémon Pokopia is nearing one million sales since its early March launch. Mario Kart World and an updated release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons also ranked highly in weekly charts. Two PS5 titles, Pragmata and Crimson Desert, appeared among the top 30 for the week. Recently released free-to-play games such as the gacha title NTE are drawing players in Japan but are also available on PC and mobile platforms, which may limit their effect on PS5 hardware demand. The Switch 2 price increase takes effect May 25. Retail prices after that date will list the Japan-only PS5 at ¥55,000 and the language-locked Switch 2 at ¥59,980, before any promotions or retailer discounts.