Cheaper Nintendo Switch Excludes Dock, Adapter, Only In Japan

The Nintendo Switch is so popular that your sibling or maybe even your parents might want one of their own. Especially with the family subscription for the Switch Online service nearly in full force. But with one Switch already in the family, the purchase of additional consoles could easily get out of hand. Nintendo's solution is a more affordable "second set" Nintendo Switch bundle that lacks some essential accessories. Unfortunately, there might be too many caveats to make it worthwhile for some aspiring owners.

The most important practical consideration, at least for now, is that it's only available so far in Japan. It's an official offering from Nintendo but the company is known for making market-exclusive configurations that never make it outside of Japan.

The main difference between the original Switch set boils down to the dock. This "Nintendo Switch 2nd Set" doesn't have one, which means you won't be able to use it in TV mode out of the box. To emphasize that disability, it doesn't come with an HDMI cable either. Curiously, Nintendo doesn't include a power adapter as well.

This 2nd set is really what the name implies. It's meant more for groups, usually families or maybe even dorm or house mates, that already have at least one complete Switch between them. This turns that Switch's Dock and power adapter into communal/familial property. Good luck trying to charge at the same time.

So how much cheaper is this Nintendo Switch Second Set? The full Switch sells for 29,980 JPY while the 2nd Set will go for 24,980. That's a 5,000 JPY savings, roughly $45 which might not actually be worth the stress of fighting over whose turn it is to charge or use the Dock.