Nintendo Switch 2 Preorder Update

Delay in Preorders Due to Tariff Uncertainty

Nintendo has officially announced that it is pushing back the preorder date for the Switch 2 in the United States. The company cited uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs as the primary reason for this delay. Although the preorder date has been delayed, Nintendo has confirmed that the launch date of June 5, 2025, remains unchanged.

Statement from Nintendo

In a statement sent to Gizmodo, Nintendo explained, "Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start on April 9, 2025, in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update the timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025, is unchanged."

Impact of Tariffs on Switch 2

Nintendo had shared details about the Switch 2’s features, price, and launch date during the official Switch 2 Direct on April 2. However, the same day, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs affecting many countries, including Cambodia and Vietnam, where Nintendo’s hardware manufacturing bases are located, as reported by The Financial Times. Some analysts believe that Nintendo had likely factored the cost of tariffs into the Switch 2’s price point. Nevertheless, the company was significantly affected by Trump’s arbitrary import tax scheme, which includes a 46% tariff on Vietnam and a 49% tariff on Cambodia.

Potential Shortage and Pricing Concerns

Nintendo has promised investors that it has prepared its manufacturing to ensure sufficient Switch 2 units are available to meet demand and avoid shortages. However, the new question is whether the company will need to adjust its pricing to compensate for the increased cost of shipping units to the United States. Some analysts claim that Nintendo had brought approximately 400,000 units to the U.S. before the tariffs were imposed, but preorder numbers could easily exceed that number, potentially leading to shortages.

Sales Projections

According to Omdia data, Nintendo sold 13.4 million original Switch systems globally during its release year in 2017. The analytics firm forecasted that the company would sell 14.7 million Switch 2s in 2025, although this projection did not account for the impact of tariffs.

Ongoing Story

This story is ongoing, and we will be updating this page as we learn more.