Nintendo Switch Packaging Expected to Shrink By 20%

Less packaging is great for the environment, but a smaller box is also cheaper to make and ship

If you spot a new Switch box appearing for sale, it's not a new model, Nintendo simply redesigned the packaging to be smaller.

A report by Nikkei(Opens in a new window) (translated) in Japan today reveals that Nintendo has had a rethink on the packaging used for the Nintendo Switch. The new box design is thought to be 20% smaller, which not only saves on materials, but should allow Nintendo to fit more of them into a shipping container or on the back of a truck. That should save money on both materials and shipping costs.

The new packaging design is expected to appear later this month, and probably in Japan first. What we don't know yet is which Switch models are impacted. Will there be new packaging for the Switch Lite, original Switch, and OLED Switch? According to Vooks(Opens in a new window), this could just be about the original Switch, which has a box that's currently 14% larger than the OLED Switch even though it's a smaller piece of hardware.

With inflation spiking around the world and components remaining in short supply, we shouldn't expect the price of the Switch to drop anytime soon. In fact, even with the savings made on packaging and shipping costs, Nintendo will probably be feeling the pressure to increase prices later this year. Thankfully, the company has stated no price increase is planned "at this point(Opens in a new window)" in time.