Nintendo has indefinitely postponed pre-orders in the United States for its highly anticipated Switch 2 gaming console following the Trump administration’s announcement of significant new tariffs on imported goods.
Initially set to open on April 9, pre-order availability will now remain on hold as Nintendo evaluates the implications of these new tariffs on its pricing and distribution strategies.
In a statement to Polygon on Friday, Nintendo reassured fans that the Switch 2’s official U.S. release date will remain the same despite the delay in pre-orders.
“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.”
This postponement is specific only to the American market. In contrast, regions such as the United Kingdom remain unaffected, with pre-orders continuing as planned.
This divergence underscores the complexity of international trade dynamics and highlights Nintendo’s unique challenges in navigating the turbulent economic landscape triggered by recent U.S.-China trade disputes.
The announcement follows closely on the heels of a major tariff escalation from U.S. President Donald Trump, who unveiled what he termed “reciprocal tariffs” affecting numerous countries involved in global manufacturing supply chains.
Specifically, Trump introduced a substantial 34% additional tariff on goods from China and an even steeper 46% tariff on imports from Vietnam. These measures directly impact Nintendo, which has historically relied heavily on China for manufacturing but recently shifted part of its production processes to Vietnam.
In a Reddit thread from February 2025, Serenity Forge CEO Zhenghua Yang described that Nintendo Switch cartridges are manufactured in Japan, which is now tariffed at 24%, while “basically everything else besides the cards are manufactured elsewhere, and packaged elsewhere.”
“Since the new U.S. presidency, we’ve unfortunately already had to massively alter our manufacturing pipeline. There are definitely very real and tangible political consequences for physical publishers.”
All things considered, Nintendo and other third-party businesses may find logistics even more challenging due to these new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
On Wednesday, Nintendo publicly revealed details of its next-generation Switch console, placing the starting price at $449.99—a figure already higher than typical for new consoles. With the latest tariffs, industry analysts speculate this price point might rise even further before release.
Consumer response to the pricing announcements had already been overwhelmingly negative. Nintendo’s livestreams, conducted on Thursday and Friday to generate excitement about the new console, instead faced a relentless stream of audience comments demanding the company “Drop the price!” The reaction intensified as Nintendo also confirmed that some game titles for the new system, such as Mario Kart World, would retail at premium prices of $79.99 and upwards, further fueling consumer frustration.
Former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang openly criticized Nintendo’s handling of the price announcements on their popular YouTube channel, labeling the situation as alarming for the company’s reputation.
“I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo,” Ellis remarked.
Their concerns highlight growing dissatisfaction within the gaming community regarding price hikes, especially in an already economically strained climate.
The broader market response has been tumultuous. Following President Trump’s announcement of steep tariffs—including the now total combined 54% import tax on Chinese goods—and China’s swift retaliatory measures introducing an additional 34% tax on U.S. imports, stock markets experienced significant downturns.
Addressing reporters just moments before the U.S. market opening, Trump remained defiant, stating in a post on Truth Social in all caps, “CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED—THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO” and reaffirmed his stance that his tariff policies “would never change.”
Aubrey Quinn, senior vice president of The Entertainment Software Association, a U.S. trade group representing Nintendo and other gaming companies, told Game File that tariffs “are going to have a real and detrimental impact on the video game industry.”
“Every company, every industry, the video game industry included, needs to think about what’s best for consumers, best for business, and best for employees. Supply chains are complicated and, certainly, supply chains don’t change overnight. Everything that is considered or decided can’t be a quick turnaround and can’t be a knee-jerk reaction to any particular announcement.”
Economic analysts warn this tariff escalation could significantly affect the affordability of consumer goods in America. Tariffs essentially function as taxes on imports, and while some corporations absorb these costs internally, most pass them directly to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Unfortunately, this likely includes tech and gaming products, which may become increasingly expensive for American consumers. “I think what we heard yesterday is not the end of the story, not for the United States, not for other countries,” Quinn said.
Daniel Ahmad, a renowned analyst at Niko Partners, previously cautioned that Trump’s unexpected tariffs—especially those imposed on countries like Vietnam, where Nintendo had relocated some manufacturing activities—might have influenced Nintendo’s recent strategic decisions.
“While the company has shifted some of its manufacturing to Vietnam to offset U.S. tariffs on China, the looming threat of reciprocal tariffs prior to the Switch 2 showcase will have also forced Nintendo to consider a higher price for the rest of the world. The reciprocal tariffs on Vietnam and Japan have come in higher than expected, and Nintendo will feel the impact of this if the tariffs go into full effect.”
The situation leaves considerable uncertainty around Nintendo’s strategy moving forward. Observers speculate that the tariff-driven cost hikes could force Nintendo to limit the inventory available in the U.S., potentially making Switch 2 harder to obtain upon its June release. Additionally, analysts are monitoring how other gaming industry players might react to similar market conditions. It remains clear that the evolving tariff situation continues to exert substantial pressure, potentially reshaping the future of gaming and consumer electronics pricing globally.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
