Summary
TheNintendo Switch 2pre-orders will not go live on April 9 in the US as previously announced thanks to the “potential impact” of Donald Trump’s tariffs and “evolving market conditions.” Nintendo recently revealed theSwitch 2price, release date, and launch lineup of games. While some retailers have started taking Switch 2 pre-orders early, the official date pre-orders for the new system are supposed to go live is April 9.
For the vast majority of the world,Switch 2 pre-orderswill still be going live on Wednesday, April 9. On that day, potential Switch 2 early adopters will have the chance to pre-order the next-generation console for $449.99 if they pick up the base version or $499.99 if they want the bundle that includesMario Kart World. Unfortunately, Nintendo fans in the US will no longer have the chance to pre-order the Switch 2 on April 9.
In a statement to IGN, Nintendo has announced that it isdelaying the Switch 2 pre-order date in the US. According to Nintendo, the delay is so that it can “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.” A new pre-order date was not announced, but Nintendo said that it will still belaunching the Switch 2 on June 5regardless of when pre-orders go live. Donald Trump recently announced a 24% tariff on imports from Japan.
Why Are Switch 2 Pre-Orders Delayed in the US?
Reading between the lines, it seems that Nintendo’s need to “assess” the impact ofTrump’s tariffssuggests that the company could be considering a price hike for the Switch 2 in the US. By increasing the price of the console in the US, Nintendo could offset the impact of the tariffs. Now, it could be that Nintendo assesses the situation and decides to stick with the $449.99 and $499.99 prices for the Switch 2 regardless, but that remains to be seen.
There have already been concerns voiced about the Switch 2’s price, and the cost of Switch 2 games.Mario Kart Worldcosts $80 digitallyand $90 physically, after all. Gamers in the US potentially having to pay even more as a result of the Trump tariffs is unlikely to go over well, to say the least. Time will tell what happens with the Switch 2 in the US, but for now, Nintendo is still planning on releasing the console on June 5.
