Nintendo Delays Switch 2 Preorders in U.S. Due to Trump Tariffs
Kyoto, Japan, April 4, 2025 – Nintendo has postponed preorders for its highly anticipated Switch 2 console in the United States, originally slated for April 9, citing the need to assess the fallout from President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs. The Japanese gaming giant announced the delay Friday, just two days after unveiling the $449.99 console on April 2—hours before Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff declaration shook global markets. While the Switch 2’s June 5 launch date remains intact, the move underscores the immediate ripple effects of Trump’s trade policies on the tech and gaming industries.
A Tariff-Induced Pause
In a statement to outlets like NBC News and CNBC, Nintendo said, “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 will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025, is unchanged.” The decision follows Trump’s April 2 announcement of a 10% baseline tariff on all imports, with steeper levies—24% on Japan, 46% on Vietnam, and 54% on China—hitting key Nintendo manufacturing hubs. Vietnam, where the company shifted production to dodge earlier China tariffs, and Japan, its home base, now face cost hikes that could force a pricing rethink.
The Switch 2, successor to the 141-million-unit-selling original, debuted Wednesday with a heftier $449.99 price tag—$150 above its predecessor—and a $79.99 Mario Kart World game, already stirring fan grumbles. Posts on X reflect the unease: “Trump’s tariffs halting Switch 2 preorders—Nintendo’s scrambling,” one user wrote. Analysts like Wedbush’s Michael Pachter told NBC News the delay stems from pricing uncertainty: “They don’t want to say $449 when it might be $600 or $700. We don’t know.” With U.S. markets tanking—S&P 500 down 4.8% Thursday—the “evolving market conditions” Nintendo cited loom large.
A Global Game, a U.S. Setback
The delay is U.S.-specific—UK preorders, for instance, proceed as planned, per IGN—but the tariffs’ reach is global. China’s 34% counter-duties, set for April 10, and Vietnam’s 46% levy threaten Nintendo’s supply chain, which leans on Southeast Asia after a 2019 pivot from China, per Niko Partners’ Daniel Ahmad. “The tariffs came in higher than expected,” Ahmad noted, suggesting Nintendo may have underestimated the hit. Circana’s Mat Piscatella told WIRED the announced rates—far beyond prior assumptions—caught the company off guard, potentially pushing the Switch 2’s U.S. price up 40%, or $180, per a Consumer Technology Association estimate.
Nintendo’s stock dipped 8% on Japan’s Nikkei Friday, per Bloomberg, reflecting investor jitters, though the firm insists the June launch holds. “It’s unprecedented for a console maker,” Piscatella said, highlighting the rarity of a preorder pullback. Posts on X speculate on outcomes: “Switch 2 could cost $500+ now—thanks, tariffs,” one gamer lamented. Others wonder if Nintendo might eat the costs to preserve market share, a tactic it’s used before, though razor-thin margins—$40-$80 per Switch, per Reason—make that dicey.
A Broader Industry Chill
The Entertainment Software Association warned this week of a “detrimental impact” on gaming, with Sony and Microsoft’s hardware also at risk from Asian production tariffs. Yet, Nintendo’s timing—announcing a pricey console the same day Trump upended trade—makes it a lightning rod. “They might spread the cost globally to avoid losing the U.S. market,” an X user posited, a strategy analysts deem plausible but unconfirmed. For now, U.S. gamers face a waiting game, with no new preorder date set.
As Trump doubles down—telling reporters Thursday he’s open to talks but tariffs are “non-negotiable”—Nintendo’s delay signals a broader reckoning. The Switch 2’s fate, from price to availability, now hinges on how this tariff storm plays out, leaving fans and industry watchers on edge.
