Costco bundles Nintendo Switch 2 at $499.99 as a September price increase approaches

Gaming hardware pricing is entering a transition. Nintendo has confirmed a $50 increase on the Switch 2's standalone console, lifting its price to $499.99 on September 1st, 2026. Costco is offering members the same $499.99 for a package that includes the console, a 256GB microSD Express card, and a one-year Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, with the added items valued at over $100 at standard retail.

Storage arithmetic behind the bundle

The Switch 2 ships with 256GB of internal storage and a 7.9-inch screen. That capacity fills quickly. Nintendo's first-party titles run between 10 and 25 gigabytes each; larger third-party releases reach 50 gigabytes per game. The microSD Express card in Costco's bundle adds another 256GB and sells separately for $59. By Nintendo's own game-size ranges, that card holds between five and 20 additional titles beyond what fits on the console itself.

What the online subscription covers

The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack tier, priced separately at $49.99 a year, provides cloud saving, online multiplayer, and back-catalogue access spanning NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, N64, and Virtual Boy titles. The Expansion Pack is a distinct, higher tier than base Switch Online. It also delivers the Switch 2 upgrade packs for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, features not available through the base subscription.

The pricing window and its read-through for hardware retail

Against the backdrop of Nintendo's September 1st list-price adjustment, the Costco bundle absorbs the value gap through accessories rather than a unit discount. The warehouse channel is holding $499.99 by pairing the console with bundled goods, a familiar response when a manufacturer signals an upstream price increase. After September 1st, the standalone Switch 2 will list at $499.99. The same price at Costco today returns the 256GB Express card and a year of Expansion Pack access on top. The deadline is September 1st.