Nintendo has delayed pre-orders for the Switch 2 in the United States because of concerns about President Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs.
In a statement sent to The Verge by Eddie Garcia, Nintendo confirmed that pre-orders will no longer begin on April 9th, 2025. The delay is to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.” While the preorder window is in limbo, Nintendo still plans to launch the Switch 2 on June 5th, 2025.
Initially, the company intended to invite certain customers to preorder the console directly from its website starting May 8th, but that schedule is now up in the air. The Switch 2 is priced at $449.99, which marks a notable jump from its predecessor’s $299 tag. It offers several hardware enhancements, including a larger 7.9-inch 1080p display, 256GB of storage, and a new C-button for in-game chats. Its games are also more expensive, ranging from $69.99 to $79.99.
Will Switch 2 price increase due to tariffs?
The timing of this Switch 2 announcement came on the same day President Trump unveiled wide-reaching tariffs impacting several U.S. trade partners. The ripple effects are already being felt. Board game maker Steve Jackson Games called the tariffs a “seismic shift” for the industry, some see a “debacle of epic proportions” looming for the auto sector, and the card grading service PSA decided to pause submissions from outside the United States.
Industry observers are wary that the Switch 2 could become even more expensive. UK-based Japan equity analyst Pelham Smithers warned that a $449 or $499 price tag is “very high” even before any tariff repercussions.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad added that Nintendo moved part of its Switch 2 manufacturing from China to Vietnam to dodge U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. “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,” he said. “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.”
Beyond the tariffs, some analysts are looking at the company’s financial metrics for hints of investor sentiment. Data from S&P Global indicates that short interest in Nintendo’s stock recently climbed above 1.8 percent of its free float, nearly the highest level in about a year.
Meanwhile, Nintendo’s price-to-earnings ratio has stayed around 30 times estimated forward earnings for two months, a figure not seen since early 2018. This valuation is higher than those of competitors Sony Group Corp. and Microsoft Corp., adding to the conversation around how Nintendo’s stock might perform.
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