Nintendo has decided to leave Brazil and will therefore not sell their products to the country anymore. The main reason for this is high taxes on imports and the only way to get around this is to produce the console in the country, according to Polygon. But there is also tough banking regulations that made digital purchases to Wii U problematic, which helped Nintendo make this decision.
The high import taxes results in PlayStation 4 costing 3,999 reals, which is the equivalent of nearly £1,000. Xbox One is somewhat cheaper as Microsoft produces the console in Brazil, but still sets back the Brazilian gamers 2,199 reals, or more than £500. Nintendo has officially commented on this matter and says:
"Brazil is an important market for Nintendo and home to many passionate fans, but unfortunately, challenges in the local business environment have made our current distribution model in the country unsustainable. These challenges include high import duties that apply to our sector and our decision not to have a local manufacturing operation. We will continue to monitor the evolution of the business environment and evaluate how best to serve our Brazilian fans in the future."
Thanks, Polygon.