Nintendo Switch news: Nikkei expects hybrid console to retail for less than $250 in Japan

One of Japan's top newspapers recently predicted a ballpark price of the Nintendo Switch, and it seems that the upcoming hybrid console is priced lower than its competitors.

According to a Nikkei report, the Switch will be sold at around ¥25,000 in Japan. The said price point makes the console cheaper than the basic model Wii U during its launch (¥26,250) and more affordable in comparison to current release hardware like the PlayStation Pro (¥44,980). The financial paper didn't cite any insider source for the figure as it just indicated an estimate of the Switch's possible price.

As reports point out, Nikkei's prediction is almost a tradition. Whenever Nintendo teases a new product, the Japanese paper reports an important detail just before its official launch. Many fans believe that Nikkei's predictions are credible after it got a bit close to the Wii U's launch price and after it revealed important details of the Nintendo 3DS.

Nikkei might have a good track record of getting info from Nintendo, but it's worth noting that the Switch's price is more of an educated guess. Even if the prediction turns out to be true, it's possible that the international pricing wouldn't directly correlate to the exchange rate. ¥25,000 is roughly $215 with the current exchange rates, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will have the same price tag when it arrives in the US. Companies set regional prices depending on several factors including local economies, taxes, and currency fluctuations.

On Jan. 13, Nintendo is expected to officially announce all additional information about the hybrid hardware. Further details including the price, specs, and features will be revealed to investors and the media during the event. Livestreamed from Tokyo, the "Nintendo Switch Presentation" is scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET (Jan. 12).