Nintendo to begin Switch 2 preorders on April 24 following tariff delays; retail price remains unchanged

Tech companies like Apple and Nintendo manufacture their products in China. The original Switch was made in both China and Vietnam. Trump has imposed a 145 per cent tariff on China and a 10 per cent tariff on Vietnam. Since Trump announced a 90-day pause on Vietnam’s 46 per cent tariff and duties on dozens of other countries, the US has imposed a baseline 10 per cent levy on imports from all countries, including Vietnam.

“We apologise for the retail pre-order delay, and hope this reduces some of the uncertainty our consumers may be experiencing,” Nintendo said in a statement. “We thank our customers for their patience, and we share their excitement to experience Nintendo Switch 2 starting June 5, 2025.”

Nintendo said the retail price of the Switch 2 will remain at $449.99, despite fears that the Trump administration’s new tariff policy would lead to increased pricing for the console. The “Mario Kart World” bundle will cost $499.99, while the exclusive titles “Mario Kart World” and “Donkey Kong Bananza” will be priced at $79.99 and $69.99, respectively.

However, some accessories for the Switch 2 will now cost more than originally announced. For example, the Joy-Con was initially priced at $89.99 and is now $94.99. The Pro Controller has also increased by $5, going from $79.99 to $84.99. The Switch 2 camera has gone from $49.99 to $54.99.

Following the official word from Nintendo announcing a new date for Switch 2 preorders, Best Buy said that it also being accepting preorders for the new console and games April 24. GameStop, Target, and Walmart have also announced when their pre-orders will begin.

Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2—the long-awaited successor to one of the best-selling consoles in history—earlier this month. The Switch 2 maintains its hybrid nature, offering the ability to play in handheld mode or as a home console connected to a TV, which was arguably what made the original Switch so popular in the first place.

The console features a larger 7.9-inch display compared to its predecessor’s 6.2-inch screen, with an upgraded resolution of 1080p (up from 720p), HDR support, and up to 120fps performance. It also includes larger buttons and control sticks. Both controls can function as a mouse, similar to PC gaming, in supported games.

With the Switch 2, Nintendo has introduced a new “C” button on the controller that helps manage a built-in voice chat feature. However, this feature requires a subscription to use.

The original Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, having sold more than 150 million units since its release in 2017. That makes the Switch the third-best-selling console ever, behind only Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s DS.

The unprecedented success of the Switch helped Nintendo make a major comeback in the video game market, with the hit console generating $100 billion in sales. Nintendo estimates it has sold 1.3 billion copies of Switch titles to date.

Nintendo’s next-generation console isn’t vastly different from the original Switch—a testament to the Switch’s immense popularity in core markets like the US and Europe. Sticking to the same formula that made the Switch so successful is a bold move from Nintendo, a company known for experimenting with hardware.