Nintendo Delays US Pre-Orders for Switch 2 to Evaluate Tariff Impacts and Changing Market Dynamics

Nintendo recently announced a delay for pre-orders of its highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. Initially set for April 9, 2025, the company decided to postpone until they can better understand how new economic policies might affect the market. Nintendo did assure fans, however, that the device will still launch on June 5, 2025.

This move came in response to a major announcement by the U.S. government on April 2, which introduced widespread tariffs affecting numerous countries, including Japan and Vietnam. Although Nintendo’s headquarters are in Japan, a significant portion of their manufacturing occurs in China and Vietnam. Recently, the company shifted some production to Vietnam as a strategic move to skirt escalating tariffs on Chinese goods. Unfortunately, Vietnam has now been hit hard with a whopping 46% tariff, while China faces an additional 34%. These new import duties are bound to impact the cost of bringing the Nintendo Switch 2 into the U.S.

The global economic landscape is currently turbulent, evidenced by JP Morgan raising its recession risk figure to 60%. This economic strain could impact consumer sales in the U.S. and beyond, affecting growth predictions worldwide. For game enthusiasts in America, this might mean shelling out more than expected for the Switch 2, which is hardly ideal during these financially tough times.

For now, American gamers are left to wonder how their wallets will fare with these changes. Whether this impacts your decision to buy the Switch 2, share your thoughts with us in the comments below!