The excitement for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 has hit an unexpected roadblock as pre-orders for the next-generation console have been delayed in the US and later in Canada due to the impact newly imposed global tariffs have had on the electronics and gaming hardware market.
Nintendo had previously confirmed the pre-order date for the console to begin from April 9th; however, due to the impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions, the date has been postponed indefinitely.
The company released a statement saying, “Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start on April 9, 2025, to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025, is unchanged.”
Nintendo Switch was first released in 2017 in the form of a hybrid console that allows it to function as a portable handheld gaming device and a traditional home console. The Switch has a built-in screen and detachable controllers (Joy-Cons), which allow the player to play in any mode: TV mode, tabletop mode, or handheld mode.
The Switch operates on Nintendo’s proprietary operating system, which controls how the Switch uses its internal storage and RAM to run the games more efficiently, protects the system from unauthorized access and potential loopholes in the software, allows the Switch to connect primarily through WiFi (this also allows the user to purchase games in the Nintendo online store), displays graphics, manages the user interface, and handles input from the controllers.
So far, there have been three models of the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch 1 (original) with detachable Joy-Cons and a dock, the Nintendo Switch Lite is intended for handheld mode only, and the Nintendo Switch OLED features a 7-inch OLED screen, a 64GB memory capacity, an adjustable stand, a dock with a wired LAN port, and enhanced audio. The Switch 1 was sold at $299.99 when launched, the Nintendo Switch Lite was sold at $199.99, and the Nintendo Switch OLED was sold at $349.99.
Nintendo Switch 2 features a 7.9-inch LCD display with a 1080p resolution with HDR support, which is an upgrade compared to the Switch 1 released in 2017, which has a 6.2-inch LCD display with a 720p resolution.
During the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct event on April 2, the company had announced that the console would sell for $449.99; however, Trump also released news of a new tariff system that affected Japanese imports with a 24% tariff, and Vietnam, a country with close manufacturing ties with Nintendo since 2019, was hit with a 46% tariff.
The new tariff system has led to escalating trade tensions between countries and significantly increased production costs of companies like Nintendo, which heavily rely on a globally distributed supply chain.
News of the unexpected delay has caused a ripple of discussions among gamers and analysts alike in the North American regions, with concerns being raised as to the effect the tariff would have on the initially announced price. The pre-order dates for other countries outside the US and Canada were not affected and, as such, went as planned.
