Nintendo Delays Switch 2 Pre-orders Due To US Tariffs For Imported Goods
Increase in game prices affected by Donald Trump's aggressive tampering with the market has uncertain implications for Nintendo and future entertainment products
Mike Lind
4/5/20252 min read
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The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct has showcased a lot of information for what to expect from this new machine, its software, price point, and a hefty ton of features. As anticipated, the Switch 2 will launch in roughly two months time, placing it in the mid Summer of 2025. (June 5th), and along with a lot of releases from third party publishers, including 2K, From software, and Square Enix, a lot of questions have been answered about Nintendo's future.
If anything caught fans of guard was the price hike of the Nintendo Switch 2 games, which overshadowed the library and many of the game announcements. With the base console being listed as $449.99US, Mario Kart World was revealed to be a hearty $79.99US for a copy of the game, and the physical version. Through the Switch 2 console bundle, you can save $30, bringing the sum up to $500USD. With the looks of matters, this appears to be an indicator of pricing for the Switch
What has happened here is the result of the United States regarding the aggressive and inconsistent increase in tariffs. The same day of the Nintendo Switch reveal, President Donald Trump's Tariffs announced a 24% hike on Japanese imports.
"Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions," states a company . "Nintendo will update timing at a later date. "
The June 5th release date for the Switch 2 will not change, according to Nintendo. According to gaming research Michael Pachter, even if the Tariffs don't go into effect, international companies will set a precedent due to the volatile nature of the situation.
"It's just too uncertain," Pachter told NBC News. "They don't want to tell people $449, when the price is going to be $500, $600 or $700. We don't know. "It's at the edge (of mass affordability)," Pachter said. "But for lower income people, absolutely this matters. If you're making 15, 20 bucks an hour, it's like, 'Oh, Jesus, I got to work for two weeks to get enough take home pay to pay for this thing? That's crazy.'"
The much-anticipated Switch 2 now has a damper over its release, and during Nintendo's Treehouse Event, the stream was flooded with messages of "DROP THE PRICE". What will this mean to the health of the Switch 2 going forward?
SOURCE: NBC News