Nintendo halts Switch 2 preorders in the United States to assess tariff impact

By Giovanni Colantonio Published April 4, 2025

A Switch 2 sits on a display next to its controller. — Giovanni Colantonio / Digital Trends

Nintendo is halting its planned pre-order process for the Nintendo Switch 2 in response to President Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs. Interested buyers in the United States will no longer be able to preorder the system starting on April 9 as originally planned, though Nintendo still plans to release the system on June 5.

Nintendo fully unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2 on Wednesday, April 2 with a Direct presentation. At that that time, the company revealed that the system will cost $450, and also get a $500 special edition that includes Mario Kart World. Later that day, President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on countries outside of the United States, which raised questions on whether or not the price would stick. In a statement to Digital Trends today, Nintendo has finally addressed tariffs and halted preorders in response.

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“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order 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,” a statement sent to Digital Trends from Nintendo reads.

The news is sure to stoke fears that the Nintendo Switch 2’s hotly debated price could be rising, not dropping. The issue likely stems from the fact that President Trump announced an unexpected 46% tariff on products imported from Vietnam. That’s where Nintendo has been manufacturing the Switch since 2019, when it moved the process out of China. That was a move also triggered amid President Trump’s first term as he threatened a 25% tariff on China at that time.

For now, there is no word on when preorders will go live, but Nintendo still plans to launch the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5 alongside Mario Kart World.

Giovanni Colantonio

Senior Gaming Editor

As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…

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