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For the Switch 2, no, and this is the rare case where waiting actively costs you money. Nintendo has confirmed the Switch 2 goes from $449.99 to $499.99 on September 1, 2026, which lands before Columbus Day weekend even arrives. The Choose Your Game bundle, which includes a title at the current price, ends the same day. If a Switch 2 is in your plans this year, the deadline is August 31, not the long weekend. For the original Switch, Switch OLED and Switch Lite, it’s the opposite story: those aren’t going anywhere in North America, they get promoted like any other electronics category over the long weekend, and they’re the ones worth waiting on.
Two different things are happening in the Switch lineup, and treating them as one sale is how people overpay. The new console is about to cost more. The older ones are about to get cheaper. Below you’ll find live pricing on both, sorted so the real markdowns sit at the top, plus a plain read on which machine is actually right for you.
Early Columbus Day Nintendo Switch Deals
One retailer is clearing the original Switch hardware in this window while the newer console holds its launch price. These are the live prices, checked against the product page.
Nintendo Switch OLED Model, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Edition
- 7 in. OLED screen
- Zelda themed hardware
- New, not pre-owned
The OLED Switch in the Tears of the Kingdom livery, with the themed dock and Joy-Con that came with the game’s launch. Same 7 inch OLED screen as the standard OLED model, and GameStop lists it as new rather than pre-owned at $239.99 against $259.99.
Themed hardware usually goes up in price after it stops being made rather than down, so a discounted one is worth more attention than the same money off a plain console. The OLED screen is the reason to pick this generation over the Lite below if you play handheld.
$239.99$259.998% off
Nintendo Switch OLED Console with Assorted Color Joy-Cons
- 7 in. OLED screen
- Color varies
- Dock included
The standard OLED Switch, listed with assorted Joy-Con colors so the pair you get depends on stock, at $209.99 against $229.99. The OLED panel and the wider kickstand are what separate it from the original model below.
Buy this one if you play docked and handheld in roughly equal measure, since the OLED screen only pays off away from the TV but the dock is the same either way. The colors being assorted is the trade for the price.
$209.99$229.999% off
- Handheld only
- No dock
- Gray
The handheld-only Switch, which does not dock to a TV and has the Joy-Con built into the body, at $149.99 against $169.99. It plays the same library as the consoles above, minus the handful of games that need detached controllers.
The Lite is a second console or a first one for a child, not a replacement for a docked Switch, because it cannot connect to a TV at all. Check a game’s controller requirements before buying it as the only Switch in the house.
$149.99$169.9912% off
Prices come from GameStop at the time this page was last refreshed and are for new rather than pre-owned consoles. GameStop does not date these markdowns, so check the current number before you buy.
Nintendo Switch Deals On Sale
Every one of these is discounted, priced lowest first.
When Nintendo Switch Deals Actually Happen
Nintendo protects its hardware pricing more tightly than almost any other brand, so the calendar matters more here than the size of any one discount.
| Window | What Actually Happens |
|---|---|
| Now through August 31, 2026 | The last window at the current Switch 2 price. The console moves to $499.99 on September 1 and the bundled game offer ends with it. |
| Columbus Day Weekend | Good for the original Switch, OLED and Lite, plus games and accessories. Electronics get promoted hard over the long weekend. The Switch 2 will already be at its new price. |
| Black Friday and Cyber Monday | The deepest cuts of the year on games and accessories, and the most reliable window for OLED and Lite bundles. Nintendo hardware itself rarely moves much. |
| Prime Day, mid July | Strong on third party accessories, memory cards and controllers. Consoles are usually bundle offers rather than true price cuts. |
| Spring, March into April | The quiet stretch. Retailers clear older stock and first party games see their few real markdowns of the year. |
What Actually Counts as a Good Switch Price
Nintendo discounts differently from every other electronics brand, so a percentage on its own tells you very little. Here’s what a real number looks like by category.
- Switch 2 consoles: Don’t wait for a discount, because there isn’t one coming. The move is to buy before September 1 at the outgoing price, ideally as the bundle that still includes a game.
- Switch OLED: The screen is the whole reason to pick it, and it holds value well. A genuine markdown here’s modest, so take a bundle with a game over a small price cut.
- Switch Lite: The one that actually gets discounted. It’s handheld only, so buy it as a second machine or for a kid, not as your only console.
- First party games: Mario, Zelda and Pokémon almost never drop far. Anything close to a third off a current first party title is a real deal.
- Accessories and microSD: Where the honest savings live. Controllers, cases, docks and memory cards swing hard, and third party options are often the smarter buy.
Where to Shop Nintendo Switch
Nintendo sets hardware pricing tightly, so retailers compete on bundles, rewards and trade-in credit instead of on the sticker. That’s where the difference is.
How to Pick the Right Switch
Buying your first Switch this year: The Switch 2, and before September 1. It plays the new generation and most of the old library, and it’ll never again cost what it costs this month.
On a budget, or buying for a younger kid: The Switch Lite. It’s handheld only and can’t dock to a TV, but it’s the cheapest way into the library and it gets discounted the most often.
You already own an original Switch: Wait unless you’re chasing a specific Switch 2 title. Your library still works, and North America has no discontinuation date for the older machines.
You mostly play docked on a TV: Skip the Lite entirely, and don’t pay the OLED premium either, because you’ll rarely look at the handheld screen.
Buying as a gift for the holidays: Get the console before September 1 and hold it. Games and accessories will be cheaper in November, but the hardware won’t be.
Nintendo Switch Sale FAQ
The Bottom Line
This one splits in two. If you want a Switch 2, buy it before September 1, because the price goes up to $499.99 and the bundle that throws in a game disappears on the same day. Waiting for a Columbus Day deal on that console means paying more, not less. If you want an original Switch, an OLED or a Lite, do the opposite and let the long weekend come to you, because those are the models retailers actually mark down, and North America has no discontinuation date for them. Games and accessories are cheapest in November either way.
