Nintendo's Bowser Talks Switch 2 Price Strategy, Trade War Impact And More
There's still some mystery surrounding Nintendo's Switch 2 console, even after last week's proper reveal during a special Nintendo Direct event. Part of the reason for the intrigue is the unexpected delay of preorders in the United States, which Nintendo announced just two days after saying preorders would open on April 9. Even if pricing remains the same while Nintendo assesses the tariffs situation, we're still looking at a $150 premium over the launch price of the Switch 1, and a $100 premium over the Switch 1 OLED's launch MSRP. To provide some context, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser revealed some behind-the-scenes details.
Bowser—not to be confused with that Bowser, Mario's forever arch nemesis—spoke with both The Verge's Andrew Webster and Wired's Farokhmanesh about the Switch 2 on a few different topics. In regards to pricing, he relayed to both outlets that Trump's reciprocal tariffs did not play a role in Nintendo's initial price strategy.
"Put [the April 2nd announcement] aside, any previous tariffs were not factored into the price itself," he told Webster. "The news is fresh, and like many companies right now, we are actively assessing what the impact might be."
In other words, the Switch 2 could very well end up costing more than $449.99 in the US (and more than $499.99 for the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle) whenever Nintendo settles on a new preorder date, though that's getting ahead of things. Nintendo could also decide to leave pricing alone.
Bowser told Farikhmanesh that the tariffs announcement, which came hours after Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 in full, "creates a challenge" and is "something we're going to have to address." He also added that part of Nintendo's strategy up to this point has been to "diversify the places where we're manufacturing our hardware and accessories."
That diversification strategy was put into place largely to maneuver around the challenges that came with the Covid-19 epidemic. However, the situation is different now, with tariffs reaching 46% in Vietnam, 49% in Cambodia, and 54% in China (among others).
As to the initially announced pricing, Bowser told Webster that several of the Switch 2's upgrades over the Switch 1 factored into the higher MSRP, but that wasn't the sole consideration.
"You want to consider pricing relative to the Switch since we still have that in distribution," Browser said. "But, really, the consideration was driven more by what is a part of this particular gaming experience versus what it is relative to the Switch 1."
Some of those upgrades include a bigger display, redesigned Joy-Con controllers, faster hardware, more storage, and the ability to play at 4K and 120 frames per second in TV mode (docked).
Pricing and related challenges aside, Bowser told Farokhmanesh that Nintendo is making efforts to ensure "consumers can find a console when they're ready to buy" one. He doesn't elaborate too much on this point, and specifically how it applies to the number of units being produced, but he did touch on Nintendo's loyalty program as a means of bypassing scalpers. Anyone who has been a Nintendo Switch Online member for a year or more who have also logged 50 hours of gameplay will be given priority access.
"We wanted to make sure that we were rewarding loyal players," Bowser says. "Those that have been playing on [the Switch] for quite some time that we knew would be those upgraders—those that were eager to dive into play. That's why some of the gates, if you will, have been a part of the preorder process."
It's all about as candid as we can expect Nintendo to get for the time being. Hopefully we'll have more clarity soon on when preorders will open in the US, and if there will be a pricing change. In the meantime, we have plenty of Switch 2 coverage to get you up to speed, including the backwards compatibility game plan and how the specs compare to the Steam Deck. We also have a Switch 2 preorder guide with strategies and tips to defeat scalpers.
