Nintendo Switch slashed to its lowest price ever as console sales drop by 20%

Nintendo Switch console on yellow background next to Techradar lowest price badge
(Image credit: Future)

Here's something we don't say all that often: the Nintendo Switch is now on sale for its lowest price ever. The hybrid console has remained fixed at its recommended price since launch back in 2017, but with today's deal you can now pick up a Nintendo Switch at Amazon for $259.99 (was $299.99).

Price cuts on the Nintendo Switch are almost never seen due to its immense popularity. In fact, for a long time, it was practically impossible to buy one as stock would sell out in hours. In short, there was no reason to reduce it.

And, while it's true that Nintendo just revealed it has seen a decline in Switch console sales by 20% in the last financial year, this is blamed more on supply chain issues and a shortage of components, rather than declining interest in the hybrid console.

Either way, this rare and unexpected $40 discount should give a quick boost to those sales figures. It rivals the very best Nintendo Switch deals we only see during major sales events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. These offers are limited to bundles, too, that feature additional games or accessories starting from $299.99. Today's deal, on the other hand, is simply the lowest ever price for a brand new console.

Today's best Nintendo Switch deal

Nintendo Switch: $299.99 $259.99 at Amazon
Save $40

Nintendo Switch: $299.99 $259.99 at Amazon
Save $40
– The only deals that come close to this in terms of value for money are the Nintendo Switch bundles we see during major sales events like Black Friday. Today's rare offer, however, is simply the cheapest price ever for a brand new Nintendo Switch console. You can then use the $40 you've saved to buy many top Switch games and still spend less than $300. It's a unique offer that's not to be missed.

A sign of things to come for Switch deals?

Super Mario Odyssey played on a Nintendo Switch in portable mode

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Wachiwit)

While the timing of this Nintendo Switch deal may be completely coincidental, it does raise questions about the future pricing of the console in the US. At the end of last year, the Nintendo Switch received a permanent price cut of £20 in the UK and a whopping €60 in Europe to coincide with the release of the upgraded Nintendo Switch OLED. Nothing similar was announced for the US.

So, is now the time for that reduction to be matched across the Atlantic? Perhaps. As mentioned above, though, this recent decline in sales seems less to do with an actual drop in interest in the console. Even if its lifetime sales are now at 107.65m and it feels like surely there's no one else left to buy it, we do see the console sold out for short periods of time regularly.

Nintendo points to the ongoing semi-conductor shortage as a reason why sales are lower this year as production cannot meet demand. Plus, the console has come off a couple of huge years through the pandemic due to an increased reliance on home entertainment and the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (now up to 38.64m total sales), so maintaining that pace was always going to be unlikely.

If you're one of the few that doesn't have one and do decide to buy a console today, why not check out some of the cheap Nintendo Switch games available today to go with it. We've also gathered up all the lowest prices on top accessories for the console, including all the best Nintendo Switch Pro Controller deals and the cheapest Nintendo Switch Online deals.

James Pickard
Senior Deals Editor

James Pickard is a Deals Editor at TechRadar. After many years of scouring the net for the cheapest games and tech for his personal use, he decided to make it his job to share all the best bargains and coupon codes with you. James also has almost a decade of experience covering some of the biggest sales events of the year at Eurogamer and VG247, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day. When not deals hunting or stacking coupon codes to get the biggest savings, James can be found on the PS5, watching a classic film noir or cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.