Nintendo fans in the U.S. will have to wait a bit longer to secure a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order. The company has officially announced a delay to its original April 9 pre-order date due to ongoing economic changes and newly imposed tariffs that may impact hardware costs. Despite the pre-order shuffle, June 5, 2025 remains the system’s official launch date.
What Happened?
On April 2, President Donald Trump introduced an extensive set of tariffs affecting a broad range of imports from multiple countries, including Japan (Nintendo’s home base) and Vietnam (one of its primary manufacturing locations). These tariffs add up to 46% for Vietnam and an additional 34% on China, coming on top of existing charges. As you might guess, this could directly influence the final retail price of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S.
Nintendo’s official statement is concise:
“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.”
Economic Pressures and Potential Price Hikes
Alongside the tariff concerns, economists worldwide are predicting tougher times ahead. Major financial institutions like JP Morgan have raised recession risk estimates to 60%, signaling that consumer spending power could be squeezed even further. If these tariff increases stick, it’s likely the Nintendo Switch 2’s retail price in the U.S. might land higher than previously anticipated—a tough break for budget-conscious gamers.
What It Means for Gamers
In practical terms, the tariff situation could hit U.S. consumers right in the wallet. The Switch 2 is already set to carry a next-gen price tag, and any additional duties could raise that bar. With living costs continuing to soar, it’s frustrating news for those who’ve been saving up. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until Nintendo finalizes its plans to see how deep this impact goes.
Still, the system’s June 5 launch date hasn’t budged. Once Nintendo weighs all market variables, it’ll release updated pre-order details and likely lock in the final pricing. Stay tuned for more updates as we keep track of how this situation unfolds. In the meantime, keep those Switch Joy-Cons charged—the next generation might cost a bit more, but it’s still just around the corner.
