Buyers looking to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 might want to act fast, as the price of the handheld might increase as much as 20%, with Nintendo passing on costs to end-users, as per analysts at Wedbush covering the industry.
The recent U.S. government announcement of a 20% tariff on Vietnamese imports, twice the initial 10% import tariff when the Switch 2 was initially released, could effectively jeopardise pricing in what is Nintendo’s largest overseas market by far.
This shift in policy comes months after President Trump announced 46% tariffs on all goods imported from Vietnam, followed by a 90-day pause that reduced the rate to 10%. This is particularly alarming for users, given that the Nintendo Switch 2 is manufactured in China and Vietnam, both of which have above-average tariffs in play as the US government continues to hammer out trade deals before a self-imposed 9th July deadline.
The Switch 2 was revealed on April 2, 2025, coinciding with news regarding tariffs. Nintendo, in response to the potential impact of the new policy, decided to delay U.S. pre-orders. The company decided to sell the Switch 2 for $449, which is substantially more than the Switch 1’s launch price of $299. Switch 2 accessories have also seen price hikes due to “changes in market conditions”.
Industry analysts predict that Nintendo might have no choice but to bump the price of the Switch 2 and pass on the cost to customers. A Wedbush analyst, Alicia Reese, stated,” We anticipate Nintendo will pass nearly all tariff-related costs to U.S. consumers, resulting in an estimated 18–20% price increase.”
If the 20% tariff goes into effect, Nintendo may opt to bump the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 from $449 to as much as $550. Games and other accessories, which have already seen price hikes, may also become even more expensive.
So far, Nintendo has not made an official announcement regarding a price hike amid the implementation of tariffs on Vietnamese goods, beyond a wait-and-see stance to Barrons, where it claimed to be “assessing the information and the impact of the tariffs,” without having anything further to announce at the moment.
Nintendo might also be holding off until terms are finalized for other countries in its production chain before announcing a price increase. For now, U.S. consumers can snag a Switch 2 for $449, but that could change fairly fast in a market where most economists agree that tariff impacts in the US will be passed on to consumers.
I am a UAE-based tech writer who likes to build and benchmark PCs both professionally and as a hobby. I contribute to multiple tech publications, including TechRadar and NotebookCheck, as well as Game Rant, where I focus primarily on news, commerce, and buying guides. When I’m not scouring the internet for the latest in tech stories, you will find me playing a game of Civilization or DotA with friends and frenemies alike while dropping recommendations for Apple TV+’s Foundation to everyone I come across.