Nintendo has delayed pre-orders for its Switch 2 in the United States due to concerns over the newly announced tariffs by President Donald Trump. In a recent statement, Nintendo confirmed that pre-orders will no longer begin on April 9, 2025 anymore. The delay is to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”
While the pre-order date remains unknown, the company still plans to launch the Switch 2 on June 5. The company initially intended to invite some users to preorder the console directly from its website starting May 8th, but the schedule has now been scrapped. 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.
Will the Nintendo Switch 2 price increase due to Trump’s 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 said the tariffs were 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 participants are worried that the Switch 2 could become more expensive, with UK-based Japan equity analyst Pelham Smithers warning 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 before the Switch 2 showcase will have also forced Nintendo to consider a higher price for the rest of the world,” he said. He also discussed the tariffs on Vietnam and Japan, noting that “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 financial metrics of the company 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. The valuation is higher than that of competitors, adding to the conversation of how the company’s stock might perform.