"Buy the Nintendo Switch Before May 25" ... Prices to Rise by as Much as 50,000 Won [IT Item of the Day]

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[Financial News] The price of the Nintendo Switch will rise by as much as 50,000 won due to the chipflation effect, a combination of semiconductors and inflation.
According to industry sources on the 9th, the price of the Nintendo Switch Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) model sold in Korea will rise from 415,000 won to 465,000 won starting on the 25th.
The standard Nintendo Switch model will also increase by 50,000 won, from 360,000 won to 410,000 won. The Nintendo Switch Lite will rise by 30,000 won, from 249,800 won to 279,800 won.
Nintendo of Korea also signaled a price increase for the Nintendo Switch 2 in September. It said specific prices and the implementation schedule will be announced later.
NOK explained, "As a result of reviewing future global business viability amid various changes in market conditions, we have decided to change the suggested retail prices of the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles in Korea."
Recently, the AI boom has driven up prices of key components used in game consoles, including DRAM and SSDs.
As component costs rise, console and PC prices are generally trending upward.
Sony's PlayStation 5 (PS5) has seen steep price increases not only in Korea but also in global markets such as the United States and the European Union (EU). The PS5 has been raised in price three times since its launch. Analysts attribute this to mounting cost pressure from chipflation. As of the 1st, the standard PS5 price in Korea rose by 200,000 won, or about 27%, from 748,000 won to 948,000 won. The Digital Edition, which does not include a disc drive, jumped by 260,000 won, or about 43%, from 598,000 won to 858,000 won. The PS5 Pro model, an upgraded version, increased by about 16%, from 1,118,000 won to 1,298,000 won.
Valve, which operates Steam, the world's largest gaming platform, has yet to finalize the launch date or price of its gaming PC, the Steam Machine, which was scheduled for release this year. Market estimates had initially placed the Steam Machine at $800, or about 1.18 million won, to $1,000, or about 1.47 million won, but expectations now suggest the price will be well above that range.
mkchang@fnnews.com Jang Min-kwon Reporter