Nintendo to slash 3DS prices, losing money on every one

The Nintendo 3DS is already a bit of a bargain, but it’s set to get so cheap that it actually costs Nintendo money to sell each one – just like Sony’s PS3. With prices set to drop by around a third, Nintendo will no longer make any profits out of the hardware side of things, concentrating on making money on 3DS games instead.

If you’ve yet to buy a Nintendo 3DS, it’s worth holding off until mid August, when Nintendo is set to slash prices dramatically. With a third of the price lopped off in Europe – and prices down from $249 to $170 in the US – the new pricing structure is set to lose Nintendo money for every single 3DS it sells.

Annoying if you’ve already bought a 3DS, but well worth a look if you’re still counting your pennies. Whether the prices of games for the Nintendo 3DS will rise to help cover the shortfall remains to be seen, but we hope not.

Nintendo isn’t the only manufacturer to lose money on consoles,and up until now the gaming giant has usually tweaked production costs to make sure it still made a profit. Sony is the most notable company to make a loss, with the Sony PS3 costing considerably more to make than it does to buy.