Trump Tariffs Delay Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders, As Gamers Brace For Potential Price Increase

Nintendo is barely over a day past the official reveal of its second-generation Switch console, but it has already felt the pinch of unprecedented geopolitical turmoil. Pre-orders for the Switch 2 handheld were originally scheduled to open on April 9, but the company has now pushed it to an unspecified date in the future.

"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 said in a statement shared with The Verge. The company, however, has assured that the console will hit the shelves on the scheduled June 5, 2025 window.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs covering about five dozen countries. The hardest hit among them were Asian nations like China, Vietnam, and India. Interestingly, these are the countries that form the backbone of manufacturing activities for the likes of Apple, Samsung, and a bunch of other big labels across mobile, computing, and gaming segments.

Nintendo is among those brands, but it's not just the pre-sale that now has a cloud of uncertainty looming over it. It's entirely plausible that we may see a price revision, unless Nintendo decides to absorb the price hike in the supply chain. But considering the jump in tariff cost, that seems unlikely, and that only means bad news for potential Switch 2 buyers.

So far, the general consensus across the industry is that consumers will be caught in the crosshairs of the tariff wars — and it had already begun. China, which has been slapped with a net 54% duties on goods imports, has already announced retaliatory tariffs worth 34% on American goods entering the country. China is where Nintendo has assembled its consoles for a while now, including the Switch.

The second-generation Switch is quite likely to face the heat. "If the tariffs are implemented, what's certain is the hit to consumer wallets. Higher import duties will raise prices across key sectors, from consumer electronics to autos. Companies will pass on costs to U.S. buyers, squeezing household budgets and cooling demand," Counterpoint Research said in a statement shared with SlashGear.

Nintendo will apparently be hit worse than fellow electronics giants. "Until last year, Nintendo made all of its Switch consoles in China," says a report by the South China Morning Post. The company subsequently moved a small share of the Switch production to Japan, as per Nikkei Asia, in a move that was aimed at minimizing the impact of tariffs. The Wall Street Journal also reported that subsequent iterations of the Switch will go to other Southeast Asian regions to diversify production.

As far as the pricing situation goes, the Switch 2 came with a sticker price worth $449.99 — a hefty hike over the first-gen handheld that was priced at $299.99 in the U.S. market. It now remains uncertain whether the Switch's final ask will feel the impact of tariffs, but if the market waves are anything to go by, brace for impact.