Switch 2 Is Not Launching Day One In China And Was Never Likely Planned To

It was reported today that Nintendo will not release the Switch 2 in China on day one, but that should come as no surprise. A report from Nikkei said Nintendo is doing demand-checks first before deciding when or if it will launch the new console in China.

Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners said the delay isn't exactly a notable event because the Switch 2 was never going to launch in China on day one anyway "given the approvals needed."

"China will turn to the grey market to import consoles from overseas in June (Except from Japan maybe lol). Nintendo will explore options for an official launch in China," Ahmad said.

Ahmad also pointed out for context that the original Switch didn't launch in China until nearly three years after the console originally debuted in March 2017. The PS4 and PS5 consoles also didn't arrive in China at launch either, nor did the newest Xbox systems. "Part of that is approvals / regulations, part of that is finding a suitable partner, part of that is demand," Ahmad said.

Companies not based in China need to have a Chinese partner for product releases. For the original Switch, Nintendo partnered with Chinese internet behemoth Tencent. For Sony, it partnered with Shanghai Oriental Pearl to bring PlayStation consoles to China. Microsoft, meanwhile, made a deal with BesTV to bring Xbox consoles to China.

The Switch 2 is set for release in the US and other markets on June 5. Nintendo announced a $450 price point for the console, but some expect a price hike due to the impact of tariffs. Others do not.

Switch 2 preorders were expected to begin for the US today, April 9, but Nintendo delayed preorders due to the tariffs. The company said it was taking time to "assess" the impact of the tariffs.