Key Takeaways
- Preorders for Nintendo’s Switch 2 will no longer start next week amid tariff concerns, said the company Friday.
- The company said the new preorder date will be updated “at a later date” but the console will still launch on June 5.
- The comes just days after the Switch 2 was announced and the Trump Administration announced its reciprocal global tariffs.
Gamers’ shopping plans are getting shaken up by tariffs.
Nintendo (NTDOY) on Wednesday said its much-anticipated Switch 2 was set to launch June 5. The announcement mentioned an April 9 preorder date for the gaming console, but the video game company on Friday rolled back that date.
“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 said in a statement provided to Investopedia. The launch date is currently unchanged, the company said. Still, the news is likely to disappoint retailers as well as gamers: “Stay tuned for further details,” GameStop (GME) said on social media.
The Switch 2 is set to succeed the Nintendo Switch, which was released in 2017. The console is said to feature redesigned controllers, faster processing speed, and more storage capacity than the original iteration. It will also include a GameChat function to talk with other players while gaming, and a GameShare feature that allows players to share and play with others who do not have the game, according to Nintendo.
The company in its announcement said the console’s suggested price was about $450 (or $500 if purchased in a bundle with the upcoming Mario Kart World game.)
A few hours after the announcement of the new console Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced his plans for “reciprocal” global tariffs that included Japan, where Nintendo is headquartered, and other countries where Nintendo manufactures hardware, including China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
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