The Nintendo Switch 2 won't be going on sale until June, and isn’t even available to pre-order in the U.S. due to tariff-based concerns. That still hasn’t stopped Nintendo from shipping the console into the country.
Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser confirmed this to CNBC Monday. Bowser confirmed that Nintendo has had time to build up an inventory of the upcoming console “on a global basis” and that “some” of those consoles have arrived in the U.S.
According to Bowser, this move was done to try and meet demand because nobody wants a repeat of what happened to both the PS5 and Xbox Series X back in 2020.
The original Switch also suffered severe stock shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who remember the release of the Wii back in 2008 will also know just how difficult it was to get hold of the console at the time.
Nobody wants to have the same issues with the Switch 2, especially in an age where scalping runs rampant. However, Bowser remained cautious in his words, and when asked if Nintendo can meet Switch 2 demand, he said, “That remains to be seen. That certainly is our goal.”
What does this mean for Switch 2 tariffs?
The question on everyone’s lips right now is how the newly implemented tariffs will affect the price of Switch 2 when it actually goes on sale. Speaking to The Verge last month, Bowser said the company was “actively assessing” the impact of tariffs — with Nintendo later delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. and Canada as a result.
Things get complicated here, though. The Switch 2 is being assembled in Vietnam, which is looking at a 46% import tariff from the U.S. — which could see the console’s price rise as high as $657. Meanwhile, Japanese goods face a tariff of 20%, which could mean a price tag of around $540, depending on how the Switch 2 is classified.
That said, one analyst believes that the tariffs may not have an impact. David Cole, founder of games industry marketing and research firm DFC Intelligence, told Eurogamer that the firm doesn’t see Nintendo raising the price at launch. In fact Cole says that “we believe that price point was reached with the threat of tariffs already looming.”
The fact that Nintendo already has some Switch 2 stock in the United States means the company may have some leeway. If those existing imports weren’t affected by tariffs, then they could be sold at the original price point without issue.
But that’s not a viable long-term strategy, and that stock will eventually run out. Companies like Nintendo aren’t in the habit of losing money, and there will have to be a point where Nintendo stops absorbing any tariff losses and passes the extra cost onto the consumer. But it’s unclear how long that might actually take.
That uncertainty definitely isn’t going to bode well for stock levels in the early days. So, let’s hopethat Nintendo has a lot more than simply “some” console in the U.S.
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