Following President Trump unveiling his controversial new tariff plan, Nintendo has introduced that it’s delaying US preorders. Initially scheduled to start out on April 9, a Nintendo consultant has since confirmed this date has been pushed again indefinitely to ensure that the corporate to “assess the potential affect of tariffs and evolving market situations.” As such, it’s possible we are going to see an sizeable enhance within the console’s value earlier than it’s relisted.
The total assertion, which was given to GameSpot through a Nintendo spokesperson, could be discovered under:
“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 within the U.S. won’t begin April 9, 2025 so as to assess the potential affect of tariffs and evolving market situations. Nintendo will replace timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.”
Nintendo’s newest console has already been the topic of scrutiny–and quite a lot of jokes–due to its $450 price ticket and the price of its upcoming first-party titles. Following its reveal, Mario Kart World made headlines as Nintendo’s priciest sport that does not embrace a bodily accent. And but, it looks like costs will solely go up from right here.
For months now, specialists have speculated that President Trump’s proposed tariffs would have vital ramifications for the online game trade. Analyst Daniel Ahmad of Niko Companions stated that Nintendo is prone to “really feel the affect” of the tariffs on places like Vietnam and Japan, the place many Switch 2 models are produced. MST Monetary analyst David Gibson instructed FT that Nintendo had already shipped greater than 350,000 Switch 2 models to the USA again in January in an try and get forward of the tariffs. It was additionally beforehand speculated by Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Evaluation {that a} Switch 2 “value enhance in 2026 is likely to be on the desk” if tariffs persist.
In fact some have theorized that these tariffs may encourage Nintendo to provide Switch 2 models in the USA. Nevertheless, Ahmad pointed out that this may be extremely unrealistic.
“Nintendo would wish to spend billions to open a manufacturing facility within the US,” Ahmad stated. “It’d most likely take 4-5 years to finish this. To not point out the time and price to rebuild provide chain infrastructure and supply elements (which might be topic to tariffs as a result of they’re made exterior the US). They’d then want to search out, prepare and pay workers to function the manufacturing facility.”
Throughout Trump’s first presidency, tariffs didn’t apply to online game consoles as a result of console producers efficiently lobbied the federal government for a particular exception. This time, nevertheless, it could seem we’re seeing the implications unfold.