Last week, Nintendo kept the hype train going on its upcoming new gaming system the Switch 2, with a series of livestreams showing off the new device along with highly anticipated upcoming games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.
Gamers, however, had something else in mind. The live chat alongside the YouTube livestream was flooded with people posting “DROP THE PRICE” and similar pleas for hours on end.
The new system’s $449 US price tag — $629 in Canada — is proving to be a tough pill to swallow. The original Switch launched in 2017 at $299 US ($399 Cdn).
Adding to the worries were Nintendo’s U.S. site listing Mario Kart World at $80 US, which is $10 higher than normal for current flagship games. The Canadian Nintendo store doesn’t currently list the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MRSP), but a straight conversion would put it at $110 Cdn or more.
Then on Friday — two days after the Switch 2 showcase — another bombshell: Nintendo paused pre-orders for the console in the U.S., “in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” according to a press release.
“Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged,” the statement continued.
While it did not mention U.S. President Donald Trump by name, the use of the word “tariff” alone is a stark departure from the Japanese gaming company’s preference to steer far clear of current events or politics in its products or messaging.
Industry analysts and advocates have expressed concern the unpredictable tariff situation could lead to price increases across the board, making the Switch 2 — and gaming in general — less accessible amid a wider affordability crunch.
The pre-order pause appears to only affect the U.S. right now. A representative from Nintendo of Canada confirmed to CBC that pre-orders in this country are still set to begin on April 9.
Switch 2 price ‘appropriate,’ says Nintendo America boss
Nintendo hasn’t yet commented on the negative reaction to the Switch 2’s price. During a media roundtable Q&A with the Switch 2’s hardware architects last Wednesday, a moderator quickly deflected a question about the price, saying the panel was there to answer questions about “the fun stuff” instead.
Nintendo of America’s president Doug Bowser (no relation to Mario’s nemesis) was slightly more forthcoming that day.
“As we look at Nintendo Switch 2 and you think about the feature sets that I talked about … we believe that the pricing is appropriate for the value of the machine and the gameplay experience overall,” he said.
Bowser, who spoke with CBC prior to the U.S. pre-order pause, noted that the previous generation of Switch devices will still be supported, including with a selection of new games coming out later this year.
“We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford [the Switch 2’s] price point. That’s why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in.”
Bowser wouldn’t share target numbers, but he said Nintendo believes the Switch 2 can be as successful as its immediate predecessor. That’s a high bar, as the original Switch has sold more than 150 million units worldwide, making it the third-best-selling games console of all time.
“Sure, there are extenuating outside circumstances that could affect positively or negatively. And we can’t necessarily control those. What we can control is that we think we’ve got a device that is going to bring more developers onto the platform, that we can lean into as a developer ourselves or a publisher ourselves. And as a result, bring a lot of smiles to people’s faces,” he said.
About those ‘outside circumstances’
Speaking before the pre-orders pause, analysts told gamesindustry.biz they believed the high price was likely set in anticipation of Trump’s global tariffs announcement.
“The higher cost of the console in the U.S. compared to Japan is likely a calculated move on Nintendo’s part, driven by tariff impacts, the weak Japanese yen and local market conditions,” said Daniel Ahmad, director of research and insights for Niko Partners.
“The reciprocal tariffs on Vietnam and Japan have come in higher than expected, and Nintendo will feel the impact of this if the tariffs go into full effect.”
Nintendo moved some of its Switch 2 production from China to Vietnam to partly avoid the effects of U.S. tariffs. But Trump’s 46 per cent tariff on Vietnam came in higher than market observers predicted, and may have erased the benefits of the move entirely.
Nintendo doubled down on its mega-popular Switch by unveiling a sequel — the Switch 2 — in New York this week. We got our hands on the new console.
A spokesperson for the U.S.-based Entertainment Software Association told the gaming site IGN they expect Trump’s tariffs to have major effects on the entire games industry and beyond, though it was “unfortunate and coincidental timing” that Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal came on Trump’s “Liberation Day” of tariff announcements.
Paul Fogolin, president of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, told CBC News that “global tariffs announced by the Trump administration earlier this week will have a real and detrimental impact on our industry and the millions of Canadians who love to play games.”
Fogolin noted that, much like other consumer goods, gaming consoles and other consumer electronics people use to play games are built with parts from multiple countries and could pass several borders that end up affected by tariffs during construction.
A price tag of more than $600 in Canada is among the new details about Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 console, along with a launch date of June 5 and some of the games that will be available. Will that cost deter buyers?
“The industry relies on affordable consoles, because the goal is to provide players with the latest technology to play the latest games, so we anticipate tariffs causing a ripple effect that will impact players and companies across the entire ecosystem,” said Fogolin.
Nintendo finds itself in a tight spot not entirely of its own making. Competitors like Microsoft and Sony are no doubt closely watching the tariff situation and how it may affect future hardware releases of their own.
For gamers of all ages jonesing for the next hit of Mario Kart or Metroid, the Switch 2 question may not be, “Is it worth it?” but rather simply, “Can I afford it?”
