Japanese retailer Bic Camera has reportedly begun restricting Nintendo Switch 2 purchases ahead of Nintendo’s upcoming hardware price increase in Japan.
The information was shared by industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto, who posted photos from a Bic Camera location in Tokyo showing sales limitations tied to the retailer’s branded credit card system. According to Toto, “Quickly after Nintendo said Switch 2 prices would raise from 50k to 60k yen in Japan in 2 weeks, local retail chain Bic Camera started limiting sales at current prices to buyers paying with a Bic Camera-branded credit card only.”
Toto later added that the same restrictions also apply to the original Nintendo Switch family. “On the sign, it says the same applies to Switch 1/OLED/Lite as well,” he said, noting that the practice is not unprecedented in Japan’s retail market.
He pointed to similar measures taken during the PlayStation 5 shortages during the COVID period, when retailer Yodobashi Camera limited PS5 purchases to holders of its own branded credit card. Toto also noted that “online, Switch 2 is sold out in Japan, too.”
Nintendo recently confirmed major hardware price increases across multiple regions. In Japan, the Nintendo Switch 2 Japanese Language System will rise from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980 beginning May 25, 2026. The company also announced price increases for the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, standard Switch, and Switch Lite.
Outside Japan, Nintendo confirmed Switch 2 price increases for the United States, Canada, and Europe beginning September 1, 2026, citing changing market conditions and long-term business factors.
The apparent retail restrictions suggest demand for the current pricing remains high in Japan ahead of the scheduled increases later this month.
