Nintendo has recently announced a change in their pre-order plans for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States. The initial pre-order date of April 9 has been put on hold. This delay is due to the company taking a step back to understand the potential effects of some significant economic policy changes and their impact on the market.
Nintendo released a statement to the press saying, “Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start on April 9, 2025, as originally planned. This decision allows us to better evaluate the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. We will provide an update on the timing at a later date. However, the launch date remains set for June 5, 2025.”
Just last week, on April 2, President Donald Trump unveiled a broad set of tariffs affecting countries worldwide, including Japan and Vietnam. While Nintendo’s headquarters are in Japan, their products are manufactured elsewhere, predominantly in China and increasingly in Vietnam. This move to Vietnam was reportedly a strategic decision in anticipation of potential tariffs on China. However, Vietnam is now facing a hefty 46% tariff. China, too, has been slapped with a new 34% tariff addition, compounded on existing ones. These tariffs could undoubtedly affect the cost of importing the Nintendo Switch 2 into the U.S.
Meanwhile, the global economy is facing uncertainty. Financial giant JP Morgan has now raised the recession risk to 60%, a factor that could dampen consumer spending across the U.S. and beyond. The worldwide announcement regarding these tariffs is causing shifts in both imports and exports, threatening economic growth projections in many regions.
For gamers in the United States, this could signal that the Nintendo Switch 2 might arrive with a steeper price tag than many had hoped. In a climate where financial concerns are already high and the cost of living is squeezing wallets tighter than ever, this news isn’t the most welcome. Unfortunately, we’ll have to hang tight a bit longer to see how these changes affect retail prices and ultimately impact consumers.
How do these developments affect your plans to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
