Gaming

Locals see increase in price for a Nintendo Switch

The rand plunged to its worst-ever exchange rate value against the US dollar at the start of lockdown, dipping as low as almost R20 to the US dollar at one point. This resulted in a local price increase of R1,000 for a Nintendo Switch.

WHAT IS THE NEW PRICE OF NINTENDO SWITCH?
The original price increased from R5,999 to R6,999. The cheaper Nintendo Switch Lite also increased from R3,999 to R4,999. This will now be the new recommended retail prices for the consoles.

NINTENDO FINANCE AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
Frank Mourinho, General Manager at Core, the official distributors of Nintendo in South Africa said, “We do our utmost to ensure pricing remains as affordable as possible, but the recent substantial devaluation of the rand has resulted in imported products becoming more expensive. To ensure product remains as affordable as possible, we offer a variety of finance and payment options for our customers.”

Nintendo Switch 2

The finance and payment options mentioned are Mobicred and FNB payment plans.

DIFFERENCES IN NINTENDO SWITCH PRICING
The official Nintendo store reflects these changes on its website. Its listings for the original Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Lite in coral has the new higher prices. There are however some differences in the pricing as the turquoise and grey versions of the Nintendo Switch Lite are still priced at R3,999 each.

RETAILERS OUT OF STOCK
The majority of big online retailers do not have stock of the Nintendo console.

The BT Games online site Raru, Loot and Takealot are all out of stock. The assumption is that when more stock arrives the new higher prices will kick in. The only exception is Raru which has the coral Nintendo Switch Lite on pre order for R4,999.

The makers and importers of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have not yet announced pricing or a release date as to when the gaming consoles will be available in South Africa.

southafrican.com