Nintendo has been receiving a lot of backlash recently after the Switch 2 direct left many with a sour taste in their mouths. The popular gaming company was quickly bombarded by fans telling it to drop the price of the console and the games which currently sit at $450 and $70 – $80 respectively. A bundle with Mario Kart World is also available for $500. Now, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has broken down the reasoning for the Switch 2 pre-tariff price. Nintendo is also currently assessing “the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”
US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on countries around the world on April 2 – the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2 direct, and the effects are already being felt by the gaming community. Nintendo announced shortly after that pre-orders, which were meant to start on April 9 in the US, are delayed until further notice.
Doug Bowser breaks down Switch 2 pre-tariff price
While speaking to The Verge [paywalled] Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told Andrew Webster that features of the Nintendo Switch 2 such as the ” bigger LCD Screen, the more powerful internals, and the Joy-Con controllers” are all reasons for the current price. Apparently, the GameChat social layer was also a reason – something many have pointed out is standard in every other console and has been for well over a decade.
The tariffs were not factored into the price
As previously stated, pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 are currently delayed in the United States as Nintendo assesses the situation. During the interview with The Verge, Bowser stated, “Put [the April 2nd announcement] aside. Any previous tariffs were not factored into the price itself.” Because of this, the price of the Switch 2 has the potential to increase before pre-orders go live sometime before the console’s release on June 5, 2025.
Bowser also stated that Nintendo will “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.” He went on to say, “The news is fresh, and like many companies right now, we are actively assessing what the impact may be.” There is currently no word as to when Nintendo will make pre-orders available.
