Nintendo Won't Raise Switch 2's Launch Price Over Tariffs, Suggests Analyst

Nintendo's official unveiling of Switch 2 coincided with President Trump unleashing higher tariffs on all imports, including consoles and games. In response, Nintendo took the extraordinary step of delaying Switch 2 preorders amidst market uncertainty. However, one analyst believes that Nintendo won't increase Switch 2's $450 price before launching on June 5.

David Cole, the founder of the research firm DFC Intelligence, told Eurogamer that he expects Nintendo to maintain the $450 price initially, and added "we believe that price point was reached with the threat of tariffs already looming." Cole also said that if the 24% tariffs on goods from Japan remain in place, Switch 2's price could rise 20% within the next two years. He went on to suggest that Nintendo may limit the amount of Switch 2 consoles available at launch in response to the tariffs. Tariffs are even higher on goods coming from China and Vietnam, where Nintendo is manufacturing the system.

"There may be a supply issue if Nintendo chooses to limit production initially," noted Cole. "Nintendo is very conservative and they don't like to take big risks on having surplus inventory. So they may take a bit of a wait-and-see approach given some of the current unknowns."

DFC's projection for Switch 2's launch numbers were also revised downward from 17 million to 15 million in 2025. Regardless, Cole remains bullish on Switch 2's potential to grab "an even larger [market] share than the original Switch."

The Entertainment Software Association has already warned that the tariffs may severely harm the video game industry beyond Nintendo. Other analysts have said that video game publishers may abandon physical releases altogether in order to avoid the tariffs.