Nintendo released a statement on Friday confirming that pre-orders for the highly anticipated Switch 2 console will be delayed due to recent tariffs enacted by United States President Donald Trump.
As reported by multiple outlets, Nintendo PR issued the below statement:
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.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was fully unveiled on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Along with hardware specifications and the confirmation of the new game Mario Kart World, Nintendo announcing that the console will officially release on June 5, 2025 at a price of $449USD.
That same day, President Donald Trump held a news conference proclaiming new “reciprocal tariffs” across the globe, dubbing the event “Liberation Day.”
Of those new tariffs, Trump instated a 34% increase on all imported goods from China, on top of an already 20% tariff against the Asian country. Other tariffs include 24% towards Japan, and a 46% tariff towards Vietnam. Nintendo, headquartered in Japan, has factories manufacturing items related to the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and related devices in all three of the aforementioned territories.
The tariffs are set to begin on April 5, 2025.
President Trump has made tariffs a major part of his current term in office, as he has casually and frequently levied tariffs against foreign nations, including longstanding allies. Tariffs have undoubtedly been given considerable thought when assessing the Nintendo Switch 2’s release date and pricing. However, this was all before the current round of tariffs, which have been unprecedented.
Nintendo has already faced some backlash by passionate fans regarding the current price of the new console and its games. During Nintendo Treehouse Live streaming events that have followed Wednesday’s unveiling, angry gamers have flooded the chat with calls to “DROP THE PRICE.” Most of these statements have been directed at the price of the upcoming Mario Kart World game, which has a $79.99USD price tag as opposed to the more common $69.99USD.
It remains to be seen if these newly announced tariffs will change the pricing model for the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s games, or its related products. It also remains to be seen if the Trump administration will stay firm and carry out these tariffs, or if they will reverse course at the last minute, as it has frequently done during the past 3 months in negotiations with Canada, Mexico, and other countries.
Are you excited for the new Nintendo Switch 2 game console? Will you be planning on buying it on day 1? What are your thoughts on the current pricing? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let us know what you think on our social media pages and official Discord server!
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