Consumers in Japan are reportedly rushing to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 before Nintendo’s upcoming hardware price increase takes effect later this month, with several retailers already facing long lines and stock shortages.
Social media posts shared by Genki_JPN showed crowded retail locations and reports of stores either selling out or restricting purchases ahead of the May 25 price adjustment. One widely circulated image from Yodobashi Camera Umeda reportedly showed around 300 people waiting in line to purchase the system.
“People rushing to buy Switch2 before the price hike,” Japanese user @peroni1212 wrote alongside the photo. Genki also claimed that resellers have already started listing the console at the higher upcoming price.
The rush follows earlier reports that Japanese retailer Bic Camera had begun limiting Switch 2 purchases to customers using the company’s branded credit card system. Industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto previously shared photos from a Tokyo store and said, “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.”
According to Toto, the same restrictions also apply to the Nintendo Switch OLED Model, standard Switch, and Switch Lite. He noted that similar measures were used during the PlayStation 5 shortages during the COVID period, when Japanese retailers introduced credit card-based purchase restrictions to reduce reseller activity.
Nintendo recently confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 Japanese Language System will increase in price from ¥49,980 to ¥59,980 starting May 25, 2026. The company also announced upcoming price increases for other Switch hardware models in Japan.
Outside the region, Nintendo confirmed separate Switch 2 price increases for the US, Canada, and Europe beginning September 1, 2026, citing changing market conditions and broader business considerations.
The latest scenes from Japanese retailers suggest demand for the current pricing remains extremely high as consumers attempt to secure the system before the increase takes effect.
