Image via Nintendo.
Nintendo has announced that it's planning to re-open North American preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 on April 24, and that the device will still hit store shelves with its original $449.99 price point. This means the console itself will not be affected by tariffs imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump, at least for the time being.
But Nintendo hasn't entirely dodged the tariff fireball. According to the company, accessories for the Nintendo Switch 2 will "experience price adjustment," with some now costing more than their initial price points revealed on April 2. Nintendo had originally planned to open pre-orders for the console and accessories on April 9, but delayed them following the eye-popping tariffs unveiled by the Trump administration on the same day the Switch 2 was fully unveiled.
Those "price adjustments" amount to a roughly 5-6 percent price increase for devices like the Nintendo Switch 2 pro-controllers, Joy-Con 2 combos, the carrying case, dock, etc. The Pro Controller jumped in price from $79.99 to $84.99, while the price of a new Joy-Con 2 pair is leaping from $89.99-$94.99.
The biggest price increases are hitting the Nintendo Switch 2 dock and the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. The price of a new Nintendo Switch 2 dock is climbing 9 percent from $109.99 to $119.99. The camera is jumping 10 percent in price from $49.99 to $54.99.
The price increase on the camera could be disruptive to Nintendo's plans for its new social multiplayer functionality built into the heart of the Nintendo Switch 2. The pitch for "GameChat" is that it would allow the console to be an all-in-one online hangout spot for players to chat with each other whether they're playing the same game or different titles. Nintendo did confirm USB-C support for third-party cameras, which might ordinarily benefit from the price change, but manufacturers may be set to increase prices on those devices as well.
The Trump tariffs could still hit Nintendo's bottom line
Though the Trump administration "paused" the majority of its announced tariffs on April 9, that pause only lasts 90 days, and did not exempt the 145 percent tariff on goods manufactured in China.
Since the pause began, the administration's messaging on the tariffs has been tumultuous to say the least. Key electronic devices like smartphones and monitors received exemptions on April 11, but video game consoles were not included in that list. However administration officials stated on April 13 that these were not "exemptions" but that these devices had been moved into another category.
If the sky-high tariffs go into effect in 90 days, Nintendo's price increases might not be enough to combat the fees charged for each device entering the country. If the company is racing to get ahead of those tariffs, it might be spending this time racing to move consoles from its manufacturing hubs in Vietnam and China to the United States.
That means Switch 2 and physical versions of games could still be set for a price increase. As the company stated in its announcement, "other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions."
