Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Order Delayed
The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t even on the market yet, and it’s already experiencing a speed bump. The new video game system following the original, wildly successful Switch was going to begin taking pre-orders on April 9 ahead of its release on June 5, but today, Nintendo released a statement (via The Verge) saying that the pre-order date has been delayed in response to President Trump’s new tariffs, which were launched on April 2 – the same day of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. The statement says that Nintendo wants to look into the effects of the tariffs before making the Switch 2 available for pre-order, although the launch date of June 2 is still set. Presumably, this has to do with the system’s pricing; as of now, the Nintendo Switch 2 will cost $449.99, or you can purchase a bundle that comes with what seems like its flagship game, Mario Kart World, for $499.99. Whether that price will go up or down – or remain the same – will depend on what happens with the new tariffs, which will be dependent on a number of factors, including how other countries respond to them and any resulting trade deals made between them and the United States. You can read Nintendo’s statement below:
“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.”
But is it really just the tariffs? It may well be – the tariffs, whether you’re for or against them, are a big deal, and global trade will be affected and likely changed no matter how they shake out, and Nintendo is a Japanese company. This could, and likely is, a wait-and-see move from Nintendo, which is smart. However, I think it’s possible something else is in play regarding the Switch 2 pre-order delay: gamers’ response to the Switch 2 prices. The first Nintendo Switch launched with a price tag of $299.99, $200 less than the Switch 2. That’s quite a leap; the PlayStation 4 started with a cost of $399.99, and its successor, the PlayStation 5, jumped just $100 to $499 when it launched. Of course, there are other factors to consider, such as that the Nintendo Switch (do we call it the Switch 1 now?) launched closer to the release of the PlayStation 5 than the PlayStation 4, so it needed a bigger jump to catch up to the market value of the 5. Regardless, to the consumer, it’s a lot more money, and you can argue what’s fair all day long, but people don’t like to pay a lot more than they used to or than they expected (and I’m sure everyone expected at least a marginal price hike).
But the bigger complaint among customers is the price of the games. Mario Kart World will cost $79.99 on its own, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the original Switch cost $59.99. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also cost $59.99 on the first Switch, but its Switch 2 version will retail for $69.99, $10 more. Now, this is in line with inflation; the price of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017 would be the price of Mario Kart World today, so it’s hard to fault Nintendo for the price hike. But perception is everything, and it’s not going over well with the masses; many of the comments on the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct have the phrase “DROP THE PRICE!” in them, and social media is full of people claiming they won’t pay $80 for a video game, particularly when PlayStation 5 games cost less at launch. So, while I’m sure the tariffs are at least part of the reason for the Switch 2 pre-order delay, I wonder if the decision was also partly made so that Nintendo could reevaluate their prices after the fan reaction. I don’t think they can charge any more if people are already mad and threatening not to buy, but again, perception is everything; suppose they hold off on pre-orders for a while to give the impression that they may up the price, then release everything at the same cost they were going to all along, making it seem like gamers dodged a bullet? That could make the reluctant more inclined to buy a Switch 2 or even Mario Kart World, perceiving stability to be a win for the consumer. Much like Nintendo, all we can do is wait and see.
Let us know what you think of the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order delay in the comments!
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