Nintendo (NTDOY) on Friday announced it will delay preorders of its upcoming Switch 2 console, as it determines how to deal with President Trump’s tariffs.
The news comes just days after Nintendo debuted the Switch 2 during a press event on Wednesday. The console, which goes on sale June 6 for $449, was set to be available for preorder starting April 9. But the company, which has manufacturing bases in China and Vietnam, is now facing double-digit tariff increases.
Under Trump’s plan, Chinese made products imported into the US now face a 54% duty, while those made in Vietnam face a 46% tax. With the Switch’s $449 price tag, up from the original Switch’s $299 price already drawing attention from gamers, any additional price increase could hurt sales in the US.
While preorders are delayed, Nintendo says it will still begin selling the Switch 2 as planned on June 5.
The system is one of two major releases this year, along with Take-Two Interactive’s “Grand Theft Auto 6,” that should help buoy the video game industry, which has dealt with stagnant growth following pandemic-era highs.
The company is kicking things off with a slew of new games, including “Mario Kart World,” “Elden Ring,” Hogwarts Legacy,” “Donkey Kong Bananza,” “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4,” and more.
Nintendo has carried over a number of the same concepts from the original Switch to the Switch 2, though it’s also clearly learned from the past. The new hybrid console gets a larger, improved 7.9-inch 1080p display.
That’s a large step up from the original Switch’s 6.2-inch panel. Nintendo has also upgraded the screen’s refresh rate, which now tops out at 120 frames per second. The higher a display’s frame rate, the smoother a game’s performance. The Switch 2’s dock also gets improvements, including 4K and HDR video support.
Like the Switch, the Switch 2 includes detachable controls, the aptly named Joy-Con 2s. Nintendo says the Joy-Con 2s, which can each serve as individual controllers, now connect to the Switch magnetically and can be used as mice in compatible games.
Nintendo has also implemented a new chat feature that lets you communicate with friends and family while playing games. According to the company, a microphone built into the Switch 2 will pick up your voice from across a room, drowning out background noise.
The company is also launching its Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, which allows you to stream video of yourself while playing games, similar to game streaming services like Amazon’s Twitch. Nintendo, however, is playing it safe, including parental controls that allow you to keep younger players from streaming.
