Issue 6 · Tuesday, October 27 · 5 min read

Why a Switch 2 now costs $50 more than it did in August

Plus: why Tesla jumped 5% on merger hopes, and how to plan for a price hike.

Class mode Worksheet Share to Classroom

For teachers: teach it in 5 minutes

1 min. Warm-up: ask “Which do you play games on most?” and take a show of hands.
2 min. Open class mode and go through the top story and the money lesson.
1 min. Guess the number: everyone guesses out loud, then reveal.
1 min. Pop quiz or the discussion question, then hand out the worksheet.

NC Economics and Personal Finance

EPF.MCM.1.1 Creating and managing a spending plan
EPF.E.1.3 Supply, demand and equilibrium price

Words to know

Memory chip: A computer part that stores data, found in phones, laptops and game consoles.
Shortage: When people want to buy more of something than sellers have, usually because the price is too low.
Savings goal: A specific amount of money you want to save by a certain time.

Open class mode Print the worksheet Share to Classroom

Warm-up

Which do you play games on most?

Phone
Console
Computer
I don't play games

Top story

Nintendo raised the price of the Switch 2 in the United States from $449.99 to $499.99 on September 1. Nintendo's president pointed to higher memory-chip costs, a weaker exchange rate and higher oil prices. Many reports say the biggest reason is the AI boom: companies building AI data centers are buying huge numbers of memory chips, which leaves fewer for everything else.

Nintendo is not alone. Microsoft raised Xbox prices in August, and the Series X now costs $799.99. Sony raised PlayStation 5 prices in April, and the PS5 is now $649.99. When many buyers want the same parts, prices go up, and gamers feel it.

Why it matters to you: If a console, a phone or a gaming PC is on your wish list, the price you saw last summer may not be the price you pay now. Planning ahead helps you spot a hike before it costs you.

Your money

How a price hike changes your savings plan

A savings goal is a specific amount of money you want to have by a certain time. Say you want a $400 item. If you save $25 a week, you need $400 ÷ $25 = 16 weeks.

Now the price rises to $450. The same $25 a week takes 18 weeks. The goal moved, so the plan has to change. A $50 hike cost you two more weeks of waiting.

You have two choices when a price rises: save more each week, or wait longer. A bigger weekly amount gets you there faster, but only if your budget has room for it. Doing the math first lets you pick on purpose instead of by surprise.

Guess the number

The Switch 2 went up $50, from $449.99 to $499.99. About what percent is that increase?

Make a guess, then show the answer

about 11%

$50 ÷ $449.99 is about 0.111, which is about 11%.

Stock of the day

Tesla TSLA +5.2%

Tesla's stock rose about 5% on Monday, closing at $391.62. Barclays, a big bank, upgraded the stock to Overweight and raised its price target to $450 from $370, citing hopes that Tesla may merge with SpaceX. Reports say committees at both companies are reviewing a possible deal, but neither has agreed to terms. An upgrade is when an analyst raises a rating on a stock because they now think it will do better. Even after Monday's jump, Tesla's shares are down about 13% so far in 2026.

Pop quiz

You want a $400 console and save $25 a week. The price rises to $450. How many more weeks do you need?

Class discussion

Game companies say their costs went up, so prices had to go up. When is it fair for a company to raise prices, and when is it not?

Last bell

Record sales, but the stock still fell

Graco, which makes pumps and spray equipment, reported record sales of $586.4 million for its latest quarter. Its stock still fell about 14%, because investors wanted stronger results and a more upbeat outlook. Good news is not always enough when people expected even better.

Markets in 10 seconds

S&P 500	7,676.77	+0.70%
Nasdaq	26,169.38	+0.82%
Dow	52,361.58	+0.28%
10-year Treasury yield	4.99%	+0.00 pts
Oil (WTI)	about $102	−1.5%

Play today’s money word

Sources