One of the biggest answered questions regarding the Nintendo Switch is its pricing. While Nintendo remain tight-lipped on the subject, various analysts are suggesting the Switch won’t cost more than $300.
David Gibson, a Macquiare Securities analyst, believes that the Switch could cost approximately $250, and might also disappoint gamers looking for innovative technologies. However, Gibson also made clear that with a solid third party support, the initial sales of the console would enjoy an extra boost. He predicts a sales record of 2.5 million units during the first month, with 10.6 million units sold by March 2018.
Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities believes that the price should rely on hardware specs more than anything. “Price pretty much depends on specs, and success depends on both price and specs. If the specs are close to PS4, I think they can price around the same ($249), and at most $299. If specs are weaker, price could be lower,” Pachter told gamesindustry.biz.
Dr. Serkan Toto, an analyst with expertise in the Asian mobile market, also believes that a price of $300 is the highest Nintendo should aim for. “They must find a way to release the Switch at US$299 to stand a chance, that’s the threshold,” said Toto. “It’s not impossible by offering the device in multiple versions, i.e. without the home dock. ‘Hardcore’ video game fans can, at US$299, already get fantastic devices from Sony and Microsoft.”
Finally, gaming expert Dan Maher thinks a lot is riding on the success of the Switch for Nintendo. “They needed to come out with something that was easily sellable that people could understand in an instant,” he told BBC Newsbeat. “They are unifying their two strands, they’ve been a very strong handheld player and a moderately successful console player in recent years, so to bring those two together it’s a bit of an all or nothing gamble really.” He then placed his trust in Nintendo’s capability by concluding, “I think they’ve pretty much clinched it.”
Nintendo is yet to reveal all the details regarding their latest home console. We know what powers it, but details such as battery life or launch titles have yet to be confirmed. However, Nintendo has already declared that more details regarding the Switch will come over next year.
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