How much will a Nintendo Switch 2 cost after Donald Trump’s tariffs?
Last week, Nintendo pulled the curtain away from the Switch 2, confirming the release date, launch line-up, hardware specs and revealing a whole bunch of exciting games. They also announced the price: the base Switch 2 would be $449.99, there’s a Mario Kart World bundle at $499.99, and Mario Kart World itself retails at $79.99.
That’s a touch more expensive than most had predicted, and there were immediate calls to lower the cost by about $50. But, even as the cries that it was too expensive were reaching fever pitch, Donald Trump was about to toss a blue shell towards everyone’s carefully laid plans. The tariffs were worse than anyone imagined, with the ludicrous twist that Trump had even targeted innocent penguins.
But it seems nobody at Nintendo was laughing, and emergency meetings no doubt immediately commenced as their business plan went up in smoke. The domestic pre-order scheme was immediately postponed, and American gamers are nervously awaiting further news. So, what’s the damage going to be?
The post-tariff Switch 2 price
As Trump’s second term began, Nintendo appeared to have made a smart decision by moving Switch production facilities from China to Vietnam. Trump’s economic focus has long been on China, so theoretically, there was a chance that assembling the console in Vietnam would result in lower import costs to the United States.
Then came the bombshell that Trump was not only including Vietnam on his tariffs list, but that this was set at an eye-watering 46%, making it one of the hardest-hit countries in the world. As such, any profit that Nintendo had forecast they’d make on the domestic release of the console would effectively be wiped out. The company has since confirmed that the announced $450 price tag didn’t account for any tariffs, making a price increase all but certain:
Nintendo says US tariffs weren't factored into the $450 price tag of the Switch 2
— Culture Crave ? (@CultureCrave) April 7, 2025
“The [tariff] news is fresh, and like many companies right now, we are actively assessing what the impact may be"
(via @washingtonpost) pic.twitter.com/Wtix2rrjfn
So, what price are we looking at, and how optimistic do you feel? If Nintendo is feeling generous, they’ll absorb some of the Trump tariffs themselves, which could mean a $499 or $549 base Switch.
More realistically, given that Nintendo is a fiercely profit-driven corporation, they’ll simply pass almost all of that tariff onto the consumer, meaning you’re looking at a $699 or even $749 Switch 2. Add a few games to that, and you’re probably looking at the best part of $1,000 for the console, Mario Kart World, and a second set of Joy-Con 2s.
Ordinarily, that price point would be suicidal for a game console launch (just ask the PlayStation 3), but we don’t live in ordinary times. Fortunately, there may be a slim olive branch of hope for gamers. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has vowed that in exchange for removing or lowering this tariff, his country will buy more American goods and is begging Trump for a delay to negotiate a new deal.
That ongoing negotiation is likely why Nintendo has, so far, not announced when domestic pre-orders will reopen. Even so, if you are planning to pre-order, expect there to be a price increase of some kind, with the best-case scenario a further $50 “Trump tax”.
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