Nintendo delays US Switch 2 pre-orders amid Trump tariff concerns

“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the US will not start April 9, 2025, in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” the company said in a statement. (Pexels Photo)

By Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

ISTANBUL – Japanese video game company Nintendo suspended pre-orders for its highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 console in the US on Friday, citing uncertainty over recent tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration.

“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the US will not start April 9, 2025, in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” the company said in a statement.

The Japanese gaming giant emphasized that while pre-orders are delayed, the planned June 5, 2025 launch date remains unchanged.

The move came after Trump announced 49 percent and 46 percent tariffs on Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively, on Wednesday as part of his reciprocal tariffs policy.

Citing analysts, a last month report from the Financial Times suggested that more than half of the hardware Nintendo imports into the US comes from Vietnam and Cambodia.

Trump reported diplomatic progress with Vietnam on trade issues.

“Just had a very productive call with To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who told me that Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the US,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

The new console, which was revealed on Wednesday, has a USD449.99 price tag in the US market, significantly higher than the original Switch’s USD300 launch price in 2017. The tariffs could force Nintendo to raise the Switch 2’s already higher-than-expected price.

The company plans to provide updated information on US pre-order timing at a later date.