To kick off April, Nintendo held a blockbuster reveal for the Nintendo Switch 2. It was warmly received, at first, with plenty of excitement around new titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, as well as new console features like 4K compatibility, and added horsepower to run all sorts of AAA games.
But conversations around the console quickly dived, as price points were revealed – and dived further as US President Donald Trump revealed new trade tariffs against multiple countries, which wound up contributing to a delay for console preorders in the US, as well as a likely rethink of the console’s price tag. (The console preorders for Canada are now also delayed.)
What is the US price for the Nintendo Switch 2?
Following the conclusion of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, global console prices were sent out to media, and notably, the US price tag seemed higher than usual, on announcement. While the original Nintendo Switch launched at USD $299.99, the Nintendo Switch 2 was announced to launch at USD $449.99. That seemed to be a bit steeper than in other countries, with even the Australian price (AUD $699.95) being around AUD $50 cheaper.
At the time, it was assumed this price tag accounted for Trump’s trade tariffs, with the console getting a bump to account for higher import fees. But as it turns out, that’s not the case – and the original price tag was decided prior to the reveal of Trump’s tariffs.
Read: Nintendo Switch 2 – Hands-on first impressions
Speaking to The Verge, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser admitted as much, leaving the door open for the US price tag to be reconsidered ahead of the console’s launch. “Put [the tariff announcement] aside. Any previous tariffs were not factored into the price itself,” he told The Verge‘s Andrew Webster.
In an additional, earlier statement, Nintendo indicated it had delayed console preorders to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”
Given the severity of the tariffs revealed, and that much of the Nintendo Switch 2’s production line is in countries now facing additional, unplanned-for import fees, it feels very likely the Nintendo Switch 2’s US price tag will be increased, prior to its release.
The reality is the Trump tariffs will significantly impact Nintendo‘s ability to bring the console into the US – and that consumers will likely need to cover these additional costs.
When will we hear more about the Nintendo Switch 2’s price and preorders in the US?
For now, Nintendo has only announced the console will stick to its planned launch date in the United States. A new preorder date or updated price tag accounting for the Trump tariffs hasn’t been announced yet.
At this stage, we do expect to hear more in the coming weeks. The Nintendo Switch 2’s launch date (5 June) isn’t that far off, so an update will need to be swift, either way.
As for what to expect, it’s hard to know how Nintendo will deal with the ramifications of the Trump tariffs, particularly given every company is in a similar boat, and there’s much uncertainty about what the tariffs will mean for the future, and just how long they’ll stick around (particularly given their intentions are built on rocky ground).
“The news is fresh, and like many companies right now, we are actively assessing what the impact may be,” Bowser told The Verge.
With conversations around the initial US price for the Nintendo Switch 2 already being fairly negative, with many feeling the price is prohibitive in the current economy, it’s hard to see a price bump being well-received. At this stage, it’s a waiting game, as Nintendo works away to compensate for the tariffs behind-the-scenes.
Those keen to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2 in the US and Canada should stay tuned as those finer details are worked out.
