Last week, Nintendo showed off the Switch 2. I even got to play it. However, that's where the good news ends.
Barely 48 hours after the big Nintendo Direct livestream, Nintendo put a pause on pre-orders in the United States due to President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs, which were put in place just hours after the Direct. Canada eventually got the same treatment, too.
When the news first broke, Nintendo released a statement that read, "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. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged."
We still don't know when pre-orders will go live in the U.S. and Canada, nor do we know if the announced $449.99 launch price will remain in place. As Nintendo fans try to make sense of it all, here's everything we know so far about the Nintendo Switch 2 tariff situation. We'll continue to update this guide as we learn more.
Keep checking Mashable for our latest tariff news and explainers, from higher laptop prices to reports of iPhone 16 panic buying.
Nintendo Switch 2 launch: Will it actually come out in June?
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Since Nintendo isn't currently taking pre-orders for the Switch 2 in the U.S. or Canada, Nintendo fans might be worried that the launch of the console itself is in jeopardy. According to Nintendo, that is definitely not the case. So far, Nintendo has been adamant that the Switch 2's listed launch date of June 5 is still a go, even if you can't lock down a purchase just yet.
To get around the delayed pre-order, American users on X shared screenshots and reports of their failed attempts to circumvent tariffs by ordering the Switch 2 from the Amazon UK store. "Amazon UK" even briefly trended on X.
Of course, the chaotic rollout of the tariffs still leaves a lot of unknowns. On Wednesday, April 9, Trump announced a 90-day pause on most reciprocal tariffs, with the exception of those against China, which now sit well above 100 percent. June 5 is within that 90-day window, and Bloomberg also reported on Wednesday that Nintendo is going to stock up on Switch 2 units produced in Vietnam (rather than China) for the U.S. market in particular. According to Bloomberg, Nintendo should be able to build a substantial stockpile from Vietnam in time for launch. (The tariffs on Vietnam are only 10 percent, as opposed to the 46 percent promised by Trump last week).
For now, it seems like Nintendo will make the June 5 launch date.
Nintendo Switch 2 launch: Will it actually cost $450?
While Nintendo takes its time to "assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions," gamers are also wondering how much the new console will cost. The listed price of $450 already raised plenty of eyebrows before the tariffs were implemented. The Switch 2 is already $150 more expensive than the original Switch, which launched in 2017, though inflation has been a big problem in the years since. According to The Verge, the existing Switch 2 price did not factor in potential tariffs.
Still, we're optimistic the retail price will remain the same for the time being.
Michael Futter, co-founder of games industry consultancy F-Squared, told Mashable he expects the Switch 2 to maintain its $450 launch price in the U.S., given the 90-day pause. Bernstein analyst Robin Zhu said the same to Bloomberg, suggesting Nintendo could just eat the 10 percent tariff rate. However, research firm DFC Intelligence suggested in a note this week that the hardware price could rise to as high as $540 over the next two years.
"We are going to see prices rise on everything, including 'Made in the USA' goods that rely on raw materials produced overseas," Futter said in an email.
Nintendo Switch 2 launch: When can I pre-order one?
The final big question: When will Nintendo re-open pre-orders in the U.S. and Canada?
According to Futter, Nintendo isn't going to fast-track this part of the process.
"I think Nintendo is going to wait as long as it possibly can. The volatility around tariffs and other major global economic fluctuations has put anyone and everyone launching a new luxury product in a serious bind," Futter said. "Nintendo won't likely announce a new price or timing around pre-orders until it has a high level of confidence that things won't suddenly shift again."
This was supposed to be a season of major hype for Nintendo, as fans have been waiting on a new Switch console for years. Hopefully, Mario Kart World will actually be in our hands on June 5.
from Mashable https://ift.tt/SyPxLu6
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